


Playing With Fire

by SoaringWings



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avenger Loki, Comic Book Style, F/M, Fire Powers, pyrokinetic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-10
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-02-16 22:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 51,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2287064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoaringWings/pseuds/SoaringWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxie Jackson is a pyrokinetic who sometimes can barely maintain control of her powers. After an encounter with the Avengers, she joins them in order to escape Shield's proximity. It seemed like a good idea at the time. At first, Loki is indifferent to her, but as a connection grows between the two he learns that there is much more to her under the surface and she discovers that its okay to have deep relationships, he becomes infatuated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginings

**Author's Note:**

> Consider my other fic to be on a hiatus. That creative river has run dry. This fic has a similar formula to 'Broken', so please excuse my predictable plot points ;) but I think you'll enjoy it anyway. This will have very infrequent updates but bare with me.

Music flooded down the street as Roxie tried to squeeze through the crowd as she searched for her boyfriend. They had gotten separated at the downtown music festival and it had been several hours since she had last seen him and he hadn’t been answering his phone. He knew this wasn’t her kind of activity since it involved people and loud noises but since he didn’t know the reason why he asked her to go along anyway. Not wanting to disappoint or cause suspicion, she accepted. Pulling her leather jacket tightly around her like armor, she pushed to the back. Luckily, she managed to stumble out. She gritted her teeth and pressed her sunglasses securely to her face, even though it was dark outside. 

Then she stopped dead in her tracks. She had found Dayton making out with a bleach blonde dressed in tight clothing. She tightened her hands into fists and marched up to him, smacking the side of his head, hard.

“Hey! What.....Oh.” He saw Roxie standing there, arms crossed, eyes presumably blazing beneath her sunglasses. 

“You cheating douchebag! Why the hell are you making out with her?” Her voice was a low growl.

Dayton sighed. “What was a supposed to do? You weren’t around and she…” He trailed off.

“She what? You know what, I don’t care. We’re over!” With that, Roxie stomped away, fuming but her heart felt like it was torn in two. She walked off in a specific direction, visualizing her destination. With every footstep, her head pulsed. A sensation brimmed in her blood, threatening to seep out, but she held it in which only made the headache worse. Just a little longer. It’s just an hour away. I can wait. But she wasn’t quite sure of that.

Ever since she had been dating Dayton, she had been slightly more in control. Without him now, there was nothing for her to latch onto, no reason and way to not explode. Her parents had just sighed the divorce papers, she had lost her job stocking shelves at the grocery store (the second job she had lost that year due to her unwillingness to take off her sunglasses), she really had no friends, and worst of all, her dog died last week. She was mad and heartbroken and wanted to destroy something. 

She walked for two hours until it was midnight and she was on the edge of the city. Roxie entered an old and abandoned train yard. Well, seemingly abandoned. Her parents had bought the property when she was twelve for only five hundred dollars from the city. It was rather small, but far enough from everything to not be seen by anyone. There was an empty, broken down station and rusty train tracks that zigged across the dusty ground. It was like a second home to her. 

Without hesitation, she walked straight into the station. The only light was a shaft of moonlight through the skylight. It was eerily empty, except for the stacks and stacks of wooden crates along the walls. She yanked one up and slammed it on the ground. It splintered into boards. Roxie grabbed one and dragged it to the middle of the floor, dropping it with a clang. The process was repeated several times until she was satisfied with the pile. 

Sighing and rolling her head back, she finally let her emotions flow, and with it, her powers. She could feel the pulse of her blood run though her as hurt, pain, and anger released itself in the form of fire. Heat radiated off her skin, flames flickering on her hands and off her hair. The fire couldn’t burn any part of her body, and it didn’t burn her clothes because she told it not to. Flames leapt from her fingertips to the wood in front of her, which immediately began to burn. Forming a ball with her right hand, she threw it with a quick flick of the wrist. It hit the wall, a puff of smoke stretching to the sky and charging the paint off. She screamed and it felt so right. 

She ran over her relationship with Dayton. She knew that they wouldn’t stay together forever, but it felt good to have company. It felt good to go out and have fun. And she thought he felt that way too. Or that he at least had the decency to break up with her before he hooked up with another woman. They had had something, and he could at least done that for her. Then her insecurities flooded in. 

She tossed another fireball at the wall. It was because she all dark and brooding, because she always had to wear sunglasses. It was because she a killjoy who ruined everything. She wasn’t good enough for even a casual relationship. Anything she loved left her, and it was mostly her fault. She threw a few more before turning her attention to the bonfire which was dying out. Tossing a few more planks in, sorrow filled her. The newly fueled flames flicked to a steadier, low rate to match her mood. Why couldn’t anything in her life remain stable?

A low clicking sound of heels called attention from her thoughts. She turned around. An older woman was walking towards her. She had brown hair, glasses, and was wearing a green hoodie. She looked like a bookworm to Roxie. But she had a very weird smile on her face.

“This seems like a good place to hide out for a while. You know, except for the little bonfire you have going on there. And well, you.”

Roxie pressed her sunglasses closer to her face. “Get out. This is private property.”

“I don’t think you know what you’re dealing with.”

“No. I don’t think you know what you’re dealing with. Get out. Now. This is my property.”

The woman’s grin grew. “No. This is my property now.” Roxie could feel her head pulse as the woman suddenly raise her hand. Whatever was going on, she knew that it shouldn’t be solved by a fireball. The woman was obviously crazy and setting her on fire was not a good idea. But then several crates rose in the air. Roxie stood still in shock. What’s going on? Before she could make sense of what was going on, the crates threw themselves at her. 

The impact stunned her as she was flung against the exact spot where she had just thrown her own fireballs. Everything blurred as slid down onto another crate and the boxes above her splintered and crashed on top of her. Her ears rang and her entire body ached in a way she didn’t know was possible. She didn’t exactly pass out, but she wasn’t completely aware. She couldn’t tell how much time had passed before the boards where finally lifted from her body.


	2. Blood

Loki was sick of this tedious task. The Avengers (only Tony and Steve) and he had been chasing down a rogue telekinetic for quite some time. In fact, he saw this whole redemption thing as a tedious task. But it was better than the prison sentence. It hadn’t even been his fault. He had been under control of Thanos but that didn’t get him off the hook. Getting directions from Stark, he teleported Steve Rogers and him to just outside an abandoned train station where Stark was waiting.

He followed them inside. The woman turned around, her figure shadowy from the light behind her. Two wooden crates were immediately thrown at them. Tony blasted them to bits. He tried to fire at her, but she simply tossed the blast to the side. Loki withdrew his knives but before he could throw them, she sent a wave of energy towards them. It tossed Loki back and even Tony a few feet. Steve’s shield had absorbed the blast. The woman ran out the door, Steve and Tony close behind.

Loki however, stayed back. Why would she set a fire while she was trying to escape? She certainly didn’t have time to light one that blazed like that. His eyes quickly spotted the blacked spot on the wall. He found a jumbled mess but he made out a vague image of a body underneath it all. He sighed. Not a civilian to deal with. Loki tossed away the crates and was surprised to see a woman underneath.

She winced in surprise, turning to him. Her long slender face was beautiful. Sunglasses dropped down her face, revealing the strangest eyes he had ever seen, even across the nine realms. The irises were only a few shades darker than the sclera, tiny black lines streaking from her pupil. They were lovely. Before he could get a better look though, she adjusted them back and attempted to sit up. Seeing her pathetic attempt, Loki bent over and grabbed her arms, lifting her up.

She grunted. “Thanks.”

“What happened here?”

Hesitating, she answered, “Chick came in here, told me that she owned the place, and flung a crate at me! Freaky…”

“Did she start that fire?”

“Uh…No.” He gave her a questioning look, and he could tell that she was staring at him though her sunglasses. “Bro. Into cosplay much?”

“And what exactly is that?”

“Ohhh. You even got the accent. What character are you supposed to be?” Her tone was patronizing.

 _Foolish mortal._ “As you appear to be in good health, I would advise that you leave until this threat is dealt with.” He let her go and turned away and tried to not think about her strange eyes.

 

Roxie watched the strange man saunter off. She stretched out her muscles, and was pleased to find that nothing seemed to be broken, just sore by some miracle. She looked at the wreckage left behind and the door. Like she wasn’t going to see what was happening. And a little vengeance was understandable. Peeking out from the door, she saw the woman dodge a knife from Loki. Quickly, she threw a blast from Tony at Steve and the shield at Tony. Neither could move out of the way and they were thrown back. Her shoulders dropped. _Shield_ was here. If her parents were here, they would tell her to get out of there, fast. Suddenly, there were projections of Loki all around the woman. Quickly, she picked up a pipe with her powers and swung it in a circle, causing the illusions to disappear in a green haze. Loki withdrew a dagger, but she lifted from his hands and shot it back at him.

He moved out of the way, but she let out another energy wave, knocking him to the ground. She drew the pipe up, and prepared to strike. Without thinking, Roxie tossed a fireball. A blaze of fire whizzed by, taking the woman by surprise causing her to drop the pipe as it narrowly missed her. The men took the opportunity to recover, but everyone stared at her. _No going back, is there?_

“Yeah,” She shouted. Tiny sparks buzzed in her palms. She brought her hands together, over her head, letting the flame slide into her right. Pressure built up in her chest as the fire grew and became more powerful. “You threw the wrong girl against a wall.” At its brink, she pushed the pressure and fire straight out at the woman, bringing her arms down with a flick. It rocketed through the air like a comet. Roxie blew out a hot breath, watching her fire. The woman, struggling, just barely parted the flame. Loki and Steve had to leap back to avoid it.

The shield was flung at her this time. She couldn’t’ quite fully move out of the way. Her leg was cut, but she couldn’t tell how serious it was through the pain. She grasped her thigh as hot blood trickled to the ground.

“Hold on.” Said an electronic voice, Tony. “Get Sunglasses over there and get out of the way.” Steve rushed over, pulling a limping Roxie over to some cover behind metal panels leaning against the wall. He pushed her in, squeezing in after. Loki appeared on the other side. It was big enough to sit up against the wall.

Steve breathed out, eyeing her. “Steve Rogers. And you?”

“Roxie Jackson.” With her sunglasses on, he couldn’t gage her reaction.

“I found her under some crates inside.” Answered Loki, as if that explained anything. Violent blasts could be heard in the background.

“How are we supposed to defeat an enemy we can’t get near?” said Steve.

“We have to surround her.” Loki replied. “Though none of our attempts have done us any good. Although, if she,” he gestured to Roxie. “Could possibly surround her with fire, we could contain the threat.”

Roxie shook her head. “I can’t exactly fire on her and my range wouldn’t be close enough. I would need a catalyst around her.”

“So…” Steve thought for a moment. “We could pour gasoline around her.”

“There is no….” She was cut off when Loki grabbed her arm and pulled her out from under the sheet, Steve getting the memo and scrambling away. She was hastily dropped on the ground with a thud. Iron Man crashed into the metal panels with a boom. Everything seemed to stop for a second as the dust settled. Roxie decided enough was enough. Shakily, she began to stand, silently cursing her leg which gushed blood, but it would serve her purpose.

Pushing her sunglasses to her face and wincing as she bent over to put pressure on her wound, she began a painful limp towards the woman. Feeling the weight of the eyes on her and the slow dripping of the blood, she stopped at twenty feet away from the woman and began to circle her. Nausea washed over her as she held back from using her fire. She always got headaches when she was about to explode.

Hand released from her leg and back straight, with blood dripping steadily to the ground, she looked like a predator stalking her prey. A thin line of blood was trailing her now. Half way through the circle, the woman in the center spoke up.

“Take off those shades you coward. Intimidation doesn’t work on me.” Roxie did just that, slowly, relishing the woman’s reaction, who tried not to show her fear. She tried to play it off with a smirk just as Roxie finished the circle and stepped back. “Look at you. Pathetic. I’m standing in a circle of your own blood and here you are. Trying to look tough.”

Holding a stead gaze, Roxie wiped a smudge of blood from her leg. A tiny spark appeared in her palm, traveling up to the tip of her finger which set the blood ablaze. Suddenly, she slyly winked, letting it spiral down to the red circle which immediately lit up with flames ten feet high. Roxie drunk in the heat as every pent up emotion inside her poured out into the fire, fueling it. All her hate to her recent ex, the anger she felt toward her parent’s divorce, loss from her dog’s passing, her loneliness, and every irritating thing that had happened to her that day.

At first there was no resistance, but then she could feel the flames being parted. Black smoke billowing in the air, the fire grew taller and taller, bigger and brighter until it overcame the telekinesis. The flames rose to twenty heat, bending to meet at the center of the circle. There was a scream and the wall of fire danced. Roxie held the fire there for a minute before separating it from her blood. It spun around the collapsed woman for a few turns. She drew the fire away, it disappearing in a spiral of smoke.

Bending over to press her painful wound, she watched Steve check the woman’s pulse as Iron Man and Loki stood beside her.

“Huh.” Said Tony. “That’s pretty impressive sparky.” Roxie gritted her teeth and put her sunglasses back on. “How do you see with those things on?” She pulled out a stick of gum, popping it her mouth. “Cinnamon? Seriously? That’s really ironic….”

“When does SHIELD get here?” She barked. Her leg really stung.

“You are familiar with SHIELD?” Inquired Loki.

“Since I just asked about them I want to say, ‘of course’. Now are when are they getting here? I’m woozy from blood loss!” Which was very much true, as she had just swayed.

“Right now.” Several vans pulled up, their headlights lighting the scene. Agents hopped out, scurrying to surround the threat. No one paid attention to them, or Steve who backed up. Behind the lenses, Roxie glared at the man who walked up to them.

“Roxie Jackson? Daughter of Ashley and Liam Jackson?”

“Hey Coul.” Her voice was anything but happy. “It’s actually Ashley Lawrence now. You should get your files updated.”

He nodded. “I wasn’t aware that your powers have manifested.”

“Yeah. Happened a few days after my last check, after I was free from being monitored. My parents decided they didn’t want their little princess watched for the rest of her life.”

“I see.” He turned away to call over his shoulder, “I need a medic over here!” One hurried over, checking the wound. Coulson drifted away to Steve.

“Should I ask about the circle of blood?”


	3. Escort

Roxie was starting to get irritated. Iron Man and the strange man were only a few feet away, watching her while the medic was endlessly talking.

“Judging by your nausea, I would say that you lost at least a pint and a half of blood. You won’t need a blood transfusion or anything like that.” _Considering I have the only blood type of its kind, you couldn’t do a blood transfusion._ He finished tucking the bandage in, checking the tightness. “Okay, I need to check how dilated your pupils are. Could you take your sunglasses off for me?”

“I am not taking off my sunglasses.” She said sternly, in a way you knew you couldn’t argue with her.

He hesitated. “Alright… It should heal in a week or two, but only if you take care of it. Change the bandages every day. If it becomes infected, immediately go to a doctor. It may leave a scar. Let’s get you an escort home.” He stood and walked over to Coulson. Struggling to stand, Tony helped her up.

“How you doing Sparky?”

 “My name is NOT Sparky.”

Loki gave her a look. “I can assure you that he will never stop calling you that. Regardless of any threat to his person.”

Roxie didn’t know how she hadn’t noticed before; he was very handsome, with very interesting cheeks and keen green eyes. Life threatening situations must blind you to certain things. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Loki.” She didn’t believe him.

“Really?”

He rolled his eyes. _Foolish mortal._ “Yes, really.”

“…Is this a weird cosplay thing were you stay in character?”

He gritted his teeth. “No, it is not. Again, what is this cosplay?”

Her head tilted. “Then what’s with the get up?”

 _She is just another pretty face then._ “I am a god of Asgard!”  

“Reindeer games over here, is actually telling the truth for once. To some extent of course. Godhood is a very debatable definition.”

Roxie decided that she would prefer to be ignorant on this topic. Luckily, Coulson and Steve walked up to them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the woman being carted away on a stretcher. She was chard and smoking, but didn’t seem to be dead, which was a relief.

“We have a van to spare. We want to send an Avenger with you in case the telekinetic escapes.”

“That happens often?”

“More often than we would like. And we want you to come in for a check.”

“No.” There was an edge as sharp as a knife in her voice. “I. Will. Not. It is unnecessary.” Coulson opened his mouth to object. Roxie crossed her arms, her feet parted to be directly underneath her shoulders. “I have a right to say no. I do not consent.”

He hesitated, glancing at Steve. “I need you following the telekinetic. Stark, you watch from above. Loki, I want you to go with her.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Seeing as she can defend herself and that I am spent for a time, there is no reason for me to escort her.”

“She has blood loss and her powers are weak from exhaustion. Right?” He looked at her. “It’s the same way for your mother, isn’t it?” Roxie nodded. “I can only spare a driver so you’re the best line of defense.”

“Fine. Where is the vehicle?”

He pointed left. “It’s ready.” Loki spun around in that direction. Roxie stood there for a second.

“Thanks. Good luck with psycho over there. See you around, Coulson.”

 

She gave the driver her address and sat in the back with Loki. He didn’t acknowledge her, but she didn’t really care. Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out. She gave a great big sigh and pressed answer.

“Honey, where are you? Are you alright? I saw the news! Did you see it?”

Loki was watching her now. She gave him the stink eye, the effect of which was ruined by her sunglasses. “I’m fine Mom. I didn’t see the news. What happened?”

“A telekinetic was rampaging downtown! The Avengers were following them, so be sure to stay clear of Shield! Now sweetie, I’m sorry to say but it may be….”

Roxie rubbed her temples. “No, no Mom. It wasn’t Dad.”

“Roxie! Did you get involved? Are you hurt?”

“I can’t really talk about it right now. She came to the warehouse and I was there…”

“Why where you there?”

Roxie drew in a patient breath. “Let’s just day Dayton was not the man I thought he was. End of discussion. I assisted the Avengers, and yes I got a little banged up but Shield took care of me, but now they know and are driving me back home.”

The line was silent for a second. “Oh sweetie. I’m sorry. I was too pushy wasn’t I? You must be tired and stressed. I understand.”

“It’s okay.” A smile lit up her face, though exhausted. “You’re just worried. Look, I’ve got to go but I’ll tell you the details tomorrow. And I need you to tell Dad everything.”

“I will sweetie. We’ll make plans on how to deal with all this.”

“Break it to him easy for me. You know how he his.” _It’s the reason why you got divorce._ “I love you Mom.”

“I love you too baby.”

The line clicked off. Roxie became aware of Loki staring at her. “Don’t look at me like that.” Her phone buzzed again. It was a text from Dayton.

_Babe, I need you to call a cab for me. I lost my wallet._

_You didn’t even have the guts to call me and you expect me to pay for a cab? Never talk to me again. We’re over._

“If you are about to set something on fire, I would recommend waiting until you arrive home.” Roxie jumped at the sudden sound in her ear.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She growled. Loki smirked and slid back.

“He must not be aware of your abilities to have tempted fate like that.”

Unwillingly, Roxie found herself smiling right along with him. “Yeah.” They were both flung to the side as the car halted. She gritted her teeth, as an overhead voice announced that she was home. Unbuckling, she scooted down the bench. “Later.” Hopping out, she limped over to the door of her apartment building. Stopping at the door, she braced herself on the brick wall.

“Are you not able to get to your quarters?”

“AH!” Roxie jumped, throwing her hand up, prepared to throw a fireball. Seeing him, she lowered her arm. “Don’t sneak up on me! It’s not my fault if you get fried!”

Loki rolled his eyes again. “Lovely. Now, I am afraid that I am being forced to escort you to your doorstep and I am told that this door doesn’t count.”

“Such enthusiasm.” Unlocking the front door, she entered, slowly making her way to the stairs. It was so late, she was lucky the lights were still on.

“Is there no lift?”

“Nope.”

“What floor do you live on?”

“Top floor.”

“How many floors are there?”

“Twelve.”

“Then this is much too slow.” Roxie jumped as her arm was taken and wrapped around Loki’s shoulder, the weight being taken off her bad side. She gave him a questioning look, making him roll his eyes yet again. “I can’t believe I am doing this for a pathetic mortal.” He was poked in the ribs for that, making him flinch. As they made their way up the stairs at a much faster speed and in a surprisingly comfortable silence, Loki found that his curiosity was peaked. “Why on earth do you insist on wearing that thing on your face?”

That earned him a jab in the ribs. “Called sunglasses, Mr.I-Am-A-God. I have a medical condition that causes my eyes to be sensitive to light.”

He scoffed. “I am the God of lies. Do not insult me with your pitiful attempt at deception.”

She stopped, raising her arm again. “I will!....” Feeling anger building up inside of her, she almost let it out. Regaining her self-control, she held it back, causing her head to pound. “Whatever. Just leave it be. It’s not important. We’re here anyway.” Pulling her arm away, she staggered to her door, failing several times to put the key in the lock before it opened. Limping inside, she flipped on a light. Loki caught a glimpse of several paintings on easels (which he couldn’t make out) and canvases strewn about in a cramped apartment before Roxie shut the door in his face.


	4. Intergrity

A week later, just as Roxie was finishing the details of her latest landscape, there was a knock at the door. “It’s not the first, Mrs. Crambridge!” There was another knock. “I can still pay the rent!”

“It’s Agent Coulson.” Roxie sighed. Pushing her stool back, she went to answer the door; throwing off her apron and putting her sunglasses on. Seeing his face, she could already feel a headache coming on from suppressing her powers. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Well, you are, but let’s get whatever this is over with. Come in.” Coulson took a seat on the couch while Roxie sat on the only other chair, her stool. “What’s this about?”

“There’s one way to get you out of the check, but you will have to go through a ranking system. It’s like a written test.”

Roxie crossed her arms. “So I just take this test and I’m good?”

“Not exactly.” She couldn’t quite understand his next words.

Shaking her head she asked, “Could you repeat that?”

“The Avengers. You’d have to join the Avengers. I’ve already talked with them, and they seem on board with the idea. From their reports, you were invaluable. They need someone with your abilities.” Roxie slumped over, head in her hands. She knew she went in every month since she was born, though she only formed tangible memories of it from age four and up. She would sit in a chair, hooked up to wires in a heat proof room. She took various tests ranging from questions to seeing how resistant to fire and heat she was by setting her arm on aflame to seeing if she was at all telekinetic.

It was likely that she would get her powers around age twelve or thirteen, puberty, like her parents. A few months after her thirteenth birthday, during her last check, it was determined that she was just a completely heat resistant kid with weird eyes and that was the end of the monthly appointments. Just days afterward, she was watching TV and began to get angry that her favorite idol was getting voted off. Her father came in and immediately noticed that a candle in the room, which had been lit, had been burning like a fireplace.

After some personal experiments, it was determined that she had inherited her mother’s ability to physically manipulate fire and her heat resistance along with the ability to control it from her father, a telekinetic. They never figured out how she was able to generate fire though. From then on, Roxie lived on the outside of Shield’s radar, looking in as her parents, even though they were determined to be harmless, were watched.

“Would I be monitored?” she muttered through her fingers.

“The most surveillance you’d be under would be from the Avengers themselves which would only be reports of suspicious activity and from whatever scanners Stark has in his tower.”

“Tower?”

“You’d have to be relocated to New York City.” Roxie took in a deep breath. “All of your travel and apartment expenses would be paid.”

“What would I exactly do?”

“Keep the world safe.”

Sighing, Roxie looked up. “Give me some time to make a decision like this.” After he left, Roxie returned to her painting, but found that her hand shook too much to make a decent line. Putting away her art supplies, the full realization of the proposition hit her and she knew that she really had only one choice. If she was going to progress through life, this might be the only chance she had to do something with her powers and make something of herself. And to maintain her integrity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does that last line make sense? Eh, whatever.


	5. Beginnings

Two weeks later, Roxie stood on cobble steps of her new apartment. Adjusting her fedora and checking that her sunglasses were on securely, she decided that it was now or never. Stark tower was only a few blocks away, but New York blocks were much larger than regular streets. As she hurried along, careful to maintain her personal space among the crowd, a hot wave of exhaust from the taxis washed over her. Baring her teeth, she pushed through away from it. Roxie officially decided that New York was a very packed place.

Arriving at her destination, she got directions from the front desk and rode the elevator to the very top floor. The trip was so long the elevator music got on her nerves. The doors slid open and she stepped out. Before she could blink, an arm was thrown around her neck and she was lead deeper inside. Looking to her left, she realized it was Tony Stark, without his armor.

He was speaking. “Hey Sparks. Still wearing those sunglasses? They match your hat.” He spoke a lot.

“It’s Roxie!” She exclaimed as she turned to face a group of people sitting on a very large couch, a few who she recognized. Loki was standing a few steps away.

“You already know Spangles and Reindeer Games. This is Bruce, the green guy, Thor, literal God of Thunder, Natasha, the Black Widow, and Clint, a Birdman.” Roxie scanned the people in front of her.

“What?”

Natasha rolled her eyes and patted the empty seat next to her. “It’s his stupid nicknames for all of us.” Weaseling out from Tony’s arm, Roxie sat. “What do you think of New York?”

She brushed her hair from her cheek. “A bit too crowded, but nice overall.”

“Good.” It was Clint who had spoken, on her right.

Roxie looked around again, silently thanking god for the lack of pleasantries. They were so tedious to her. “So how will things work?”

Steve spoke up this time. “Essentially, this is our command center. Bruce and Tony have their lab’s here too. We usually have at least three of us on call here in the day. Then there are planned missions, which Shield will assign to us.” Roxie nodded in understanding. Clint reached over and plopped a large book in her lap.

 It was titled, _Shield Training Manual._ “And this is all you need to know. We’ll walk you through until you’re ready. We wrote down some cliff notes too.” Picking it up, she flipped through the pages, finding that there were few pictures and many words in tiny print.

“Got it. So we just hang out here all day until we’re needed?”

There was a sharp sneer. “Like hunting dogs.” Loki.

Tony sighed dramatically. “Well, way to demoralize her!” Roxie chuckled and shook her head. “Sooo…” Tony turned to her. “Let’s see your power!” His childlike grin earned him several glares.

“Roxie, if….” She cut Natasha off.

“It’s alright. I’ve never gotten to show off before.” That was sort of true, but on the other hand she was nervous. What would they say? What would they think? She was only sure that she couldn’t get out of this. “Anyone got a candle?” If there wasn’t one, she could use that as an excuse. Tony instantly tossed her a candle from god knows where. She glared at him. “You are too prepared for this.” She picked it up and touched the tip of the wick. Sparks from her fingertips lit it.

“That is astounding!” announced Thor.

“Yeah….” Started Tony. “That’s cool. For a parlor trick.” Loki snickered under her breath.

“Stark...” Steve began to scold, but Roxie distracted him. She scooped her hands in the candle and pulled out a flame, like one would dip a hand in cream. She held it there for all to see. Natasha noticed that their awe made her more confident, as she had leaned back. Tony ‘oohh’ed and reached out to poke it.

“Ow!” He whipped his hand back. He shook it in shock. Clint laughed. “It _is_ fire Tony.”

Roxie rolled the little ball over her fingertips before flipping it into her palm. Brushing both hands past each other, it disappeared into smoke and sparks. Her eyes lit up at their dropped jaws. The corner of Bruce’s mouth lifted. “I bet that takes a lot of talent.”

Roxie beamed.

 

Roxie returned the next, half way done with the book and tiny sketch book with pencils in her bag. All she and the Avengers really did yesterday was hang out, read, train, research, and check up on any attacks and threats. A pretty easy day, but she knew that not every day was going to be like that if the manual was any indicator. She decided to go the gym first since that’s where Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Thor liked to go. Sure enough, they were there.

Natasha and Steve were talking while Clint was shooting arrows and Thor was doing _something_ with a spear. “Good morning. Hey, I have a question.” Natasha nodded. “It says here that Shield doesn’t have to tell me background information for a mission, only what I have to do.”

“Usually you’ll be told anyway but that a standard rule for regular agents.”

“You’re Avenger though.” Steve added. “We can refuse a mission like that or request more information but they don’t normally do that. If you’re ever lied to, come and tell us. Sometimes we have that problem.”

 _Sometimes?_ “Thanks. Hey, do you know of a quiet place?” Natasha pointed her to the library, just down the hallway. She found that it was surprisingly big, holding reference books, technical and otherwise. The rows of books were only interrupted by a line of windows, and even then there were shelves underneath.

There were two tables of with four seats each and a single computer right next to the door. Flipping on the light switch, she plopped her bag on the table. Taking off her sunglasses, she began to read. The Shield manual was chock full information that was both slightly cryptic and crystal clear. The hierarchy and their roles, the history of its creation, their relationship to the government, and what they actually did were difficult to understand but the parts about procedure, combat, weapons, devices she quickly learned.

After some time had passed, Roxie could feel her nose twitch. Burying her nose deep in the crook of her elbow, she sneezed hard enough that there were tiny sparks that lit up in her mouth. She hated when this happened, but luckily she was alone. Her lips parted to allow a tiny waft of smoke to escape.

“Bless you.”

Roxie jumped up, knocking her chair over. Her hand twitched back, a blade of fire already in hand. There was Loki, a smirking character in green, with a leather bound book in hand. He didn’t seem particularly concerned with the flame in her palm. Seeing him, she bared her teeth, dissipating the fire. Snatching her sunglasses up, she growled, “Don’t do that! How long have you been here?”

 His voice was low and prideful, like a tiger. “Approximately twenty minutes. You really should pay attention to your surroundings.”

Irritated, Roxie dug her nails into her thigh. “You seriously have to stop doing that. For your own good.” Loki regarded this carefully. Roxie felt like a rabbit being sized up by a wolf under his gaze. She didn’t like that.

“I see.” He said finally. Resisting the urge to throw him out the window, she dragged the chair up, sitting in it, and dug her phone out of her purse. No messages (surprise, surprise), but her Instagram feed was full of new posts. Her latest painting had gotten a ton of appraisal and she was already getting EBay bids. The bids were very low, but they were high enough to breakeven after costs and fees. In her peripheral view she saw Loki take a seat at the other end, engrossed in his reading.

Roxie couldn’t quite figure him out. He was always there, off to the side detached but completely involved in what was going on. He wasn’t keen on doing his duty, like when he didn’t want to escort her home, but followed through with it regardless. He had two modes: Calm and insightful or indignant and patronizing. As she wondered why, she mentally slapped herself. That was a very personal question to ask. That was like asking her why she wore her sunglasses. If she was honest, she would have to say because of past bullies in school, which she would never want to admit to anybody. For whatever reasons he acted that way, it was none of her business. He probably had his reasons.

“Ahem.” Loki was looking at her. Roxie blinked, not realizing that she was staring.

 _Play it off Rox._ “That’s a very interesting outfit you have there.”

He was annoyed. “You’ve mentioned it a few times. It is casual Asgardian dress.” It was simpler that the other clothes he wore the first time she saw him. This was a vest over a green shirt with pants. It was actually quite elegant. If this was casual of Asgard, she couldn’t imagine what they called formal. As she was searching for a response, the room shook; a large boom that made the air vibrate.

A few seconds passed. A voice which she had just learned belonged to an A.I called Jarvis announced “Do not worry, only a minor explosion. It appears that Mr. Stark is in need of assistance.”

Loki calmly stood, smirking. “Ah this should be good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! I finally got it together and pulled off a double update. Maybe I'll even get to some relationship building and actual plot eventually.


	6. Antics

When they got there, they found the Avengers staring straight up, smiles on their faces. Following their eyes, she found Tony stuck to the ceiling. It was quite a sight. Legs dangling down, arms crossed, he was only held in place by his chest piece. “Yes, ha ha, very funny. Now can you get me down?”

“How'd this happen?” Loki asked.

Bruce turned to the side and replied. “He was testing the heat resistance properties of his suit and wore it to move the thermal energy radiator.” Roxie glanced back to the scattered scraps of metal around a blackened square bit. “Something went wrong and it exploded. Thank god he was wearing his suit,” Loki had a look on his face that said that he thought anything but that. “But now his suit won’t pop open.”

“Hold on Stark.” Steve dragged a table over, hopping up on it. He began to pry at the side.

“Whoa! Whoa!” Tony pushed him away. “Dude, I’m going to fall and break my handsome face if you do that! Get me something soft to land on!”

Steve sighed. “Thor, could you get a mat from the gym?”

“Of course.” He quickly returned with one, placing it underneath. Steve gave the chest piece a few hard yanks. “It’s welded into the ceiling!” He declared. “Pass the blowtorch.” Natasha passed him it, conveniently on the table next to her. Tony squirmed as the torch slowly got closer and closer to him.

“Wait, wait, wait! Stop! Don’t mess with the suit!”

Steve rolled his eyes. “How else are we getting you down?”

Tony pushed away the blowtorch. “Just take down the ceiling! It’s two inches of solid metal!”

“Why two inches?”

“Things happen!” Steve looked skeptical but complied nevertheless. Tony frowned at Clint, who was busy taking pictures with his phone. “Clint you are waging war!” He only laughed and snapped a few more. “Hurry up!”

“I’m trying! It’s barely heated up yet.” Tony groaned dramatically, kicking at Clint but getting nowhere close. Roxie took pity on him.

“Hey Steve.” He looked down. “I got this; move over.” He complied, holding out a hand to help her up. Positioning her hands right next to where the suit met the ceiling, she let heat seep into the metal. “Don’t burn me!” cried Tony, which earned him a few giggles from the peanut gallery. “I promise on my heart and soul that you will not be burned.” _I will absorb any excess heat._ Flames licked at the metal, making it pliable. Feeling it give, she pushed it away as it were clay.

Continuing the process around two other sides, the chest piece lurched, causing Tony to flail. Loki smiled. “I wouldn’t struggle if I were you. You might miss the mat.” He scowled but stopped moving anyway.

“Get ready to fall.” Said Roxie. Dragging her finger along the rim, the metal tore like paper. Tony fell and landed with a loud ‘ouf’ followed by a groan. Thor bent down and rolled him over, Bruce scanned for injury.

“Stark,” called Steve. “Are you alright?” Tony simply shot Clint a look and gave a thumb up. Seeing her work was done, Roxie jumped down, excusing herself to study some more. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the library door. Loki entered.

“Are you now aware that I am here? Don’t attempt to harm me.” Roxie ignored him. This seemed to annoy him but he picked up his book without comment. A half hour later, Tony burst into the room looking worse for wear.

“Revenge. Now.” Loki sighed.

“I’m busy.”

“You are the literal God of Mischief! I need you man.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Replace the center of the Oreos he loves so much with toothpaste.” Tony’s face lit up. “Or attach an air horn to the back of a door so that it goes off when opened.” Roxie decided not to question how he knew what those things were.

“You could loop a zip tie around a can of air freshener, yank and throw it.” She suggested. “You can’t go into the room for a few hours though.”

Tony pumped his fist in the air. “Sweet! Thanks Rudolph, Sunglasses.” He turned and left.

Roxie turned to the trickster. “Why does he call you Rudolph?”

“I have no idea.”

“Huh.” She tilted her head in thought. “Why a reindeer?”

This peaked his interest. “A reindeer? The animal?”

“Well yeah. You know Christmas and Santa and stuff?” Loki shook his head. She explained the best she could. After hearing this, Loki calmly closed his book and stood. He turned to leave. “What are you doing?”

“I have to inform Barton of Tony’s agenda.” Roxie grinned. She was going to like ‘working’ here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three cheers for fluff! *Get's tommatoes thrown at her* Okay, one more chapter of fluff then we can move into actual action. I hope. I just want so show off Roxie's powers cuase' she's cool like that.


	7. Training

“Miss. Jackson, you are requested in the gym.” Roxie glanced up from her phone to acknowledge the phantom voice in the elevator. She nodded, knowing that Jarvis would recognize the gesture. Stepping out, she went straight to the gym. Natasha was standing there on her phone, Clint shooting arrows at a target. She had begun to think of them as her mentors. Natasha smiled at her.

“I sure hope you’re ready.”

Roxie’s lip quirked upwards. “It would help to know what I should be ready for.” Roxie set her bag down, taking off her hat and coat. She had taken the shield test a few days ago. This must be confirmation that she had been approved. Natasha wasted no time taking her to the mat. They began with stretches. Roxie was pleased with the fact that she could still touch her toes. Natasha then made her do thirty pushups which left her strained and a few laps which left her panting.

Lastly, she had to do ten pull-ups in a row, after which she was done. If only it was that easy. “Just five more.” Said Clint. “You can do it!” Arms shaking as she lifted herself, she lost her concentration and slipped. With an ‘oof’, she landed on her butt. Wobbling to her feet before they could help her, she jumped up and gripped the bar again. Behind her she could hear the door opening.

“How is it coming along?” It was Loki. Roxie gritted her teeth. She was not going to show weakness to him again. She was up to three when he crossed the room to watch. She was at five when he told Clint that Tony was continuing his antics against him. When she was at seven, Clint was eyeing him suspiciously. At ten, Clint was running out the door to stop Tony from replacing all his exploding arrows with confetti ones. At twelve, she let go, landing somewhat not clumsily.

Natasha gave her a water bottle. “Good job, you did well. Be prepared for the same thing tomorrow. I’ve got to make sure Clint doesn’t murder Tony.” She left too. Roxie unscrewed the cap and took a greedy gulp. Loki looked at her. _She tried harder after she knew I was watching her._ Roxie stared back.

“Nice tattoo.” Behind her sunglasses, she blinked in surprise. Without thinking, she reached to touch the back of her neck. Her hair was to the side, revealing her neck. “Does it mean anything?” Roxie shook her head, a bit too quickly.

“I was in college and it seemed like a good idea at the time.” She strode over to things, threading her arms though her jacket and throwing her bag over her shoulder. “I’m going to get lunch. Bye.” Loki wondered what made her retreat so fast.

Hot dog in hand, sitting on a bench on the edge of Central park, Roxie mentally slapped herself over and over. It wasn’t like her tattoo was very well hidden or that it was meant to be, or that it’s meaning was anything more than a corny physical metaphor, but the way his green eyes bore into her soul shook her up. It wasn’t as if his gaze was creepy or intense, just very perceptive which unnerved her. Gulping down the last bites, she looked back at her sketch pad.

The eyes of the snake she was drawing resembled Loki’s.

 

Sipping at her water, Roxie sat on the bench, heaving. She wasn’t sure how many more lessons she could take. Steve had left her alone with the task of hitting a sack for ten minutes, which after the other exercises left her completely exhausted. Her heart beat with excitement from the adrenalin as the fire in her blood sang as pulse quickened. She sat there for several minutes, waiting for it to go back down. It would not.

Only half disappointed, she eagerly lifted her fingers. It had been a long time since she had used her powers. Fire seeped out of her fingertips. An idea crept into her mind. Stepping onto the center of the mat, and with a quick glance around the room, she let a thick glob of fire sink into her hand. Roxie wondered how much she had retained her mother’s lessons. Being able to produce and better maintain a flame, her works far surpassed hers.

Circling the air in front of her, she withdrew her hand after a long tunnel a few feet long was formed. Concentrating on it, the flames spun around in tune to her heartbeat. Drawing her hands over it she shaped it as if it were clay to its desired shape. Unknown to her, Loki was about to enter out of sheer curiosity as to what everyone else was doing. It was that kind day.

He watched her work through the window. Loki studied her movements. Sometimes she made tiny flicks with her fingers, other times big sweeping motions resembling a dancer’s. It wasn’t until the fierce, deep set eyes were formed that he realized that it was a Chinese dragon. With a haunting gaze, a wondrously dark shadow behind the pupil, it’s whole being pulsed with a certain delicacy. Smoke wafted from the spikes down its body, creating an eerie effect.

A sorcerer himself, he deeply appreciated its intricacy. The fire coursed through her like the hum of his magic. He was about to step out when to his surprise, it began to move. Roxie swung her body, and it obeyed like a puppet on a string. It twisted and dance along the ground, circling her. He saw a wicked smile as she pushed her sunglasses up. Though he wouldn’t admit it, he was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t get a good view of her irises. The dragon and her bobbed up and down as one.

Suddenly, Roxie overstepped the mat and slipped. Landing on her back with a grunt, the dragon blurred and the flames came loose like threads. Loki blinked, realizing that he had been watching for quite some time. Roxie sat up, brushing her hair away from her eyes. Shoulders slumping, she looked down. But not even a half minute later, she was already working on a new creation. Not able to see what she was doing, Loki dared to enter.

He stopped just a foot behind her, waiting for the anticipated reaction. Roxie, unaware, sculpted a figure in her palms. After a bit a reshaping, Loki recognized the shape of a butterfly. Smoke trailed from the tips of its orange rings, clumps of orange forming swirls on the wings. Parting her hands yet keeping the butterfly afloat, she twitched her fingers. Its wings flapped along. Bringing it to her lips, she breathed out and it fluttered up and away, wings still moving with her fingers.

It flew a few yards away, looping around and flying back. He blinked when it flew above her head and directly at him. Without thinking, he blasted it away with a beam of energy. Quickly looking to Roxie, he found her looking over her shoulder at him, glasses fitted into place. He frowned. This was not what he was expecting.

“I told you.”

“Indeed.” He cocked his head. “How’d you do that?”

She turned away, standing. When she heard him coming into the room, she almost stopped what she was doing, but she couldn't resist the opportunity to show him up. It was probably a mistake, but she was too tired to really care. “It's a secret.” Loki rolled his eyes.

“You hide your talents from the world and yet you allow yourself to be used as a common tool?”

“Oh, and your situation is any different.” She snapped. His eyes narrowed. “You had a choice.” “Not much of one!”

They watched each other, considering the words that had been exchanged. It occurred to him that she wasn't aware of his recruitment and vice versa. What were they even arguing about? Roxie suddenly shook her head. “This is stupid.” Loki nodded in agreement. “Forget it. What did you want?”

He shrugged in slight disinterest. “I was passing by when I noticed that you were in here. I was just wondering what you were doing.” He said innocently. The rumble in his voice gave him away. “Perhaps I could see more.” She crossed her arms.

“Then let's do a tradeoff then. You show me something.”

Loki hesitated, but only for a moment. Even Tony knew better than to bluntly tell him to use his magic because it ticked him off. Magic was an unfathomable phenomenon beyond reason, fueled by the strands of the universe. Magic fed off of you, so asking him to do a task he deemed unnecessary was asking Einstein to do your math homework, and with every problem he solved his IQ dropped. He supposed that it was a similar situation with her.

He projected an illusion of himself. Roxie smiled. “Impressive. I bet that comes in handy.”

He smirked proudly. “Thor falls for it more often than is reasonable. Now here's a trick that requires less strain on my energy.” The image disappeared and he produced a few knives. Flicking his wrist, they smoothly landed on a target, some twenty feet away. Roxie shamelessly gaped. She thought only Natasha could do something like that. Loki had a very pleased smirk on his face.

“Your turn.” She shut her jaw. Slowly, she began to smirk herself.

“I said it was a tradeoff. I showed you, you showed me. We're even.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You did not specify that.” “Exactly.” It was his turn to be amazed.

 _Clever. Very clever_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoever guesses Roxie's tattoo correctly gets an internet cookie. There're gluten free.


	8. Cliffhanger

Just a week later, Roxie was whisked into the meeting room as soon as she arrived. Before she knew it, she was being briefed on a mission. It was important, but not such a big deal that it was crucial. She, Clint, and Natasha would shadow a suspected mob boss on vacation with his colleges to the Smokey Mountains. Loki would be there, 'just in case' they needed backup. Shield had very good reasons to believe that it was more to it than that; there were rumors that the boss in question had cheated a rival.

That rival was known for taking revenge, but the boss had been under too much protection to even think about attacking. Of course, they weren't sure if they even had the right guy, and they didn't have enough evidence to arrest him. There were eight other suspects and this one wasn't even at the top of the list. The best way to be sure was to see if he was attacked while on the trip, as his guard would be somewhat down.

As Coulson was going over the details via video conference, Loki's gaze flicked to Roxie ,who was paying close attention. Her nails were painted a vibrant blue, matching the one neon lock that fell on her right side. Against her stark black hair, it was a beautiful shade. Loki quickly banished the offending thought. There were more important matters to attend to.

When the call finally finished, Natasha turned to Roxie. “Got all that?” She nodded. “Think you can handle it?” The same response. “Nervous?” Roxie shot her a look behind her sunglasses, which if Natasha couldn't read expressions, wouldn't look like a particular face. “Don't be. You're kind of just there to observe. It's unlikely that anything will happen, and if it does you should be able to handle it.”

Roxie hoped she was right.

 

The sun was going down and the sky was dark, but that didn't stop the tourists from enjoying the streets of downtown Pigeon Forge. It had rained earlier and the sun had been brutal, leaving the air humid and sticky. For the third time Roxie stopped and turned around when she reached the aquarium. She was following Loki, who walked parallel with Clint and Natasha. Neither party had spotted the crew. She thought it was strange that such a dangerous criminal would go on vacation to such a mundane family friendly place.

Roxie wished that the whole thing would be over with. She was immensely bored and at the same time wired. Three yards away, Loki stopped to look into a window before continuing. He was smartly dressed in a blue collared shirt tucked into black pants with neatly slicked back hair. It was ridiculously contrast to his usual array, but it looked good on him. She heard a click in her left ear.

“Spotted.” Said Clint. “They just got of a car. Five steps behind you Roxie. Let him pass and follow.” Her heart pounded in her chest. Pulling out her cell phone, she stepped to the side and pretended to be checking her messages. Almost flinching as an arm brushed past her, she forced herself to keep her head down. Four men, ranging from thirty to fifty and dressed in nice suits strutted down the street with large grins. Wait several beats, she slipped her phone into her pocket, trailing behind.

“Watch for suspicious activity.” He didn’t need to tell her, but it reminded her that they on the lookout for a more violent threat. Walking for about five minutes, the men crossed the street and turned into a bar. It was Natasha who spoke. “Clint and I are going in. I need a watch.”

“I’ll go through the shops on the street.” The rumble in Loki’s voice in her ear made her freeze.

Roxie studied her surroundings for a position. She grinned stupidly when she found the perfect area. “I can watch the door; I found a good spot.” Swinging open the heavy glass door, she stepped into the tiny parlor. It was a small room with only a few chairs and a counter. In one corner, directly facing the bar, was a chair not unlike a dentist’s chair. On the walls were various images and designs.

The dark toned woman behind the counter smiled. “Hey hon. What can I do you for?”

Roxie nodded politely. “I’d like a henna tattoo.” The woman stood and gestured to the chair facing the window. “I can do any design on that wall next to you. They start at ten and go up to sixty if you want a really big design.” Roxie quickly spotted a ten dollar one.

“That one? I’ll try to make it as dark as possible but I can’t do black. Black dye is dangerous.” In five minutes, which Roxie spend staring out the window, she was done. “Now wait ten minutes for it to settle in.” Roxie paid the woman and busied herself with pretending to be fiddling with her phone. Natasha had texted her that it might be a while. When the clock was up, Roxie decided that she may as well enjoy herself.

Buying two scoops of ice cream in a cup, she stationed herself on a bench that gave her a direct line of sight of the door. A while later, the men stumbled out, laughing. They weren’t drunk per say but slightly tipsy. If she didn’t know that one of them was a suspect, she wouldn’t have looked twice at them. They didn’t seem the least bit dangerous. Waiting, she stood and began walking. Catching sight of Loki, she saw a man with a stack of brochures and even more ambition trying to talk him into a timeshare.

With the traffic, Loki was put in a position that he would have to practically push the man into the street to get past. His face told her that he was about to do just that. Barreling though the onslaught of people, she nudged herself between the two.

“Excuse me, sorry.” She grabbed Loki’s upper arm and hung on like a girlfriend would. But she knew better than to go that route. “C’mon Tommy! Mom’s been waiting. So sorry sir.” Guiding him away, Roxie let go after they were a few yards away.

Loki was annoyed. “I was about to…”

“You were about to toss him into the road! Don’t stop when people are trying to sell something. Slowing down is encouraging.” She rolled her eyes and strutted a few steps in front. She was tired of following him. Loki watched her go. His arm was cold from her absence.

Finding herself just a few steps behind the men, she concentrated on what they were saying. After a discussion of sports and drabbles of jokes, the youngest one suggested that they go on the cable car. After a group consensus they made a bee line for it. Quickly whispering into her earpiece, she managed to get around them and stand in line. They were directly behind her. Ahead was a party of five men, two who carried obnoxious hiking backpacks that pushed her backwards every time they swung around. Roxie forced herself to keep quiet for the sake of the mission.

Another text from Natasha told her that they were right behind the suspect. Loki was somewhere else doing god knows what. After a long wait, Roxie got her ticket and moved to the next line. There were twelve to a car so it worked out to that her, the suspect and his party, the five men, Natasha, and Clint were in the car. Natasha and Clint had barely made it in time. With seats built into the sides and railing just under the large windows there was a distinct lack of space. Roxie claimed a corner and sat down.

One of the men with a backpack sat a space away, his friends wrapping the corner and filling out the rest of the seats. The other four sat next to her. Natasha sat and Clint stood. The gears kicked in. All parties except for her began talking. Halfway to the top a peace settled. Roxie allowed herself the pleasure of watching over the hustling city below. Streetlights and windows glowed through the night like dozens of moons and millions of stars against a black canvas which absorbed the radiance like towel on water.

A new sound pulled her from her thoughts. The man next to her had stood up. He was unzipping his backpack. She studied him through the reflection on the window. Her heart thumped in her throat when he shared a slow look with his friend; she couldn’t help but flinch when he pulled out a square object. Natasha caught the movement but it was too late. The friend had produced a gun.

“I want hands behind heads. Now!” The passengers quickly complied. “I see one sudden movement and your head gets blown off. Got it?” He aimed at Clint’s head. “Sit down.” He did so. The others rose, two going to the suspect and his pals, one to Roxie. They all had guns pointed at them. The object, which Roxie now saw had a timer, was being put on the ceiling. The numbers were too small for her to read. She wanted to look to her mentors, but she found it hard to force her gaze away from the gun.

As buttons were being pressed, Natasha and Clint shared a look. From this distance they could take the shooters out but not when they were being aimed at. In the split second she glanced over, she saw this look shared between them. They needed a distraction.

“Hey.” All eyes except the leaders turned to her. The gun was jabbed at her head, a warning. “Hey!” He turned to her.

“No talking.” He said shortly.

“May I make a phone call?” There was a slight tremor to it, half real. “Please, it’s important. It’s my boyfriend. I need to tell him something.”

“No. Now shut up.” His head was cocked towards, eyes dangerous.

“I need to tell him the baby’s not his!” The entire car went dead silent. The man was taken aback.

“Wha…” He was cut off. Clint grabbed the gun. Natasha had a headlock on one and was kicking the other. While hers was distracted, she slipped to the side and kicked his legs from out under him. The gun was dropped. However, he caught her arm and pulled. Stumbling over him, she fell too. Reaching for her collar, she scooted back under the bench. The globs of colorful gum were the least of her worries.

What happened next was a blur. She could remember a violent shaking and a sickening lurch as her legs tilted down. The air shook when a booming pop echoed in her skull. A few seconds passed. Her muddled thoughts ordered her to move. Her guy and the one who set up the bomb were on the floor moaning. The leader was duking it out with Clint. One man was sprawled out on the suspect and his group who were slumping to the floor in shock. Natasha was choking a man with his own arm, but was being elbowed repeatedly.

The cable car swung back and forth, stopping all movement inside. Roxie realized that the car wasn’t moving anymore. As they slowed down, the car was leaning downwards to the side were the bomb had exploded. A lump formed in the pit of her stomach. The night sky was leaking in. She could see very loose screws. The metal was tearing like fabric; far too fast for any taste. The hole was widening.

For an instant, she felt completely helpless in every sense of the word. Steading herself on the wall, she brushed the smooth metal. _Metal. This is metal._ Without another thought, she ran to the other side. There was a hatch up top. In one smooth movement, she stepped and jumped of the railing. Catching the handle and steading herself with the other leg, the cable car swung.  Turning it and pushing up, she propped it up with the built in wedge. Drawing up all her strength, she pulled herself upwards.

The night sky hit her like a slap to the face. She was hundreds of feet in the air with no safety gear on an unstable, swinging structure. Choking down all her fear, which made her metaphorically gag; she crouched and hugged the arch side that connected to the car. It was bolted firmly to the car, but the metal screeched in protest. The next arch section, five steps away was precariously dangling its side down a foot. Sucking in a breath, she took those few steps.

Sliding down to her knees, a wild gust of air surprised her. Shrugging off her moment of complete panic, Roxie laid her palms on the metal. Fire, which waver and flickered from her fear, cooked the sheet. Pulling it forwards like a blanket, she connected it to the base of the arch. The cable car leaned down another inch, stretching the heated gob. Drawing warmth from it, it cooled fast. Heating the base, she molded it to the sheet. From there, she fused it to the metal.

Checking the seam, she scooted back and resumed her hold on the arch. It wouldn’t last forever, but she was confident that it would last long enough. The car had at least stopped lurching. A wave of relief passed over her. Any professional wielder would tell her that her work was completely solid. The sounds of a scuffle below resumed, but she knew that it would be taken care of. Imagine her surprise when she heard a body climbing out of the car. The cherry on top was that _right now_ someone had decided to get the cab moving.

Standing on shaking legs, she faced him. Back planted against the arch and fingers gripping tightly, she waited. At first he seemed wary, but his legs suddenly became sure and he walked right up to her. He balled a fist, raising his arm. He hesitated, but she dared not to move and lose her balance. They were at the top now and turned so that her back was leaning down. It seemed to be forever until fist slammed into her face.

Roxie’s vision turned white, her ears ringing. Her grip held. Her sunglasses were no long on her face and she knew that she would never see them again. Buzzing hot pain traveled down the left side of her face. Something odd trickled down her nostril. Blood. Stunned for a second, she did nothing; she was in so much pain. You know when you get hit in the nose and it hurts so much you can’t help cry? It was double that. When he raised his fist again, a reasonable person would move out of the way.

However, Roxie turned that pain into fuel. Her left arm, blood running thick like lava, grabbed his right. He immediately recoiled. She took his other wrist in her palm. He yanked back with a yell. Lifting her leg so high she was this close to slipping off and plummeting to her death, she brought it to his chest. Letting go when she kicked, he landed with a thud. Climbing around the first arch section, she grabbed his neck and dragged him around the column. Shoving his stunned form head first down the hatch, she slammed it close.

Collapsing with exhaustion, Roxie’s body shook. Salty sweat mixed with hot blood. It tasted bitter to her.

 

She wasn’t sure of how much time had passed between the events, but when she opened her eyes, someone had called her name. It was Natasha. They were at the station now. Clint had the suspect and his crew and three of the five men on the ground, a gun pointed. A crowd of onlookers watched from the street. Natasha was telling her to get out. Roxie tried to obey but was slow going. Then it occurred to her that two were missing.

The Black Widow was pulling one of the men out but he was too stubborn. As she looked over the edge and was about to jump, a movement caught her eye. The leader was pointing a gun out the window. “Get down!” She couldn’t tell who said it as she stepped away. A gun fired, glass was shattered.

A flash of red hair threw itself on the ground. Something flew from the shattered window and hit a control panel. When she looked back on it, she later realized that this action was a last ditch effort to cover their tracks. It would be seen as a random act of terrorism and not an assassination attempt. She thought it would actually be worse to be seen as a terrorist than an assassin, but they must have figured that the followers of the boss would have down worse than the law.

Falling forward, she clung to the arch. Coming to her senses, she prepared to scramble forward and roll off. But she was too late. She met Clint’s eyes as the ground became farther and farther away. The horror on his face filled her with dread. This would not end well for her. Halfway to the top, they suddenly popped out of the hatch.

Roxie had to scoot over and back to let them pass. She was eyed but given no acknowledgement. Instead, they held handles not unlike a coat hanger. Setting them on the cable lines, they grabbed both ends of the sticks and jumped. They slid down to the waiting guns at the bottom. They thought they could escape with their distraction. Since she was in danger, they would.

Thinking fast, she looked into the car. The two bags were open, and now many square boxes littered the ground. The timers read: 07:20. The entire ride was ten minutes and she was more than a quarter through. It would blow up at the bottom. She brought her hand to her ear piece.

“It’s going to explode when it hits the bottom.” She said simply. _That’s it, be a good agent. Think rationally._ Reaching her arm in, she felt around for the emergency stop rope. Sound clicked on but she cut it off. Roxie knew that in the real world, you can’t be talked through disarming a bomb. Especially so many. There were really no options. “Clear the area. And I need the line silent on my part.”

“Alright.” It was weird for Natasha to go along like that, but she couldn’t dwell on it now. Syncing her phone timer with the bombs and sending a few texts, she pulled out a pair of special gloves made for climbing. Funny how she initially thought they were pointless. Carefully reaching around the arch nearest to the station, she climbed. After a few painstaking feet, she was in reach of the cable. She had five minutes.

Taking in a shaking breath, she extended her hand out to it. It was thick and stringy, digging into her sking. Wrapping her other hand around it, she untangled her legs. They swung like a pendulum on a clock. For a moment, Roxie wasn’t sure she could do this. This was absolutely insane. She stood a better chance on the car.

She shut her eyes. Summoning her rage, she let it swell up in her chest. Transferring the power to her arms and her sweating palms, she let go of the back hand and placed it in front of the other. And repeated. And repeated. And repeated. Her arms numbed. She looked down once, but quickly averted her attention. Her stomach dropped several times. When she couldn’t go any further, she dared to glance back.

Her heart leapt as a flick of hope surged through her. Roxie was bad at judging distance, but she guessed that she was twenty feet away. Gasping, her head fell back. Her arms were shaking in exhaustion, begging for relief. The moon hung like a silver Christmas ornament above her head. The exact shade of her irises. How had she not seen that before? Oh right. She was always wearing those sunglasses, obscuring her perspective of the world.

She felt closer to the sky than the ground at this point. Cool air tickled her skin, but offered no comfort. When the blast ripped through her scattered thoughts, she found that she couldn’t scream. It was like the wind was knocked out of her. Roxie had never understood what was meant by the phrase, the words ripped from your mouth. She did now.

For a second, she believed she was safe. Yet the force pushed at her, tossing her around. The heat of the blast gave her some condolence as a brethren but it couldn’t stop the pressure of the explosion which would have killed her instantly. The cable shook violently, yanking her sideways. In one motion, her hand let go. Thrashing, she grasped sporadically at the air. Her fingertips had just brushed the wire when two more blasts resounded.

Roxie lost her grip and fell.

She screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This is not a good representation of downtown Pigeon Forge but I think its pretty close. They do have a ski lift you can ride to a lower lying mountain, but not anything close to a cable car like this. Anyway, the next chapter will be a really short, but you can probably guess what happens from my really predicable plotlines.


	9. Landing

To say the least, Roxie was very much disorientated. Somehow, she was alive. Somehow, she was alive in _one piece._ And on solid ground. The sky was still dark and brooding, but it was now narrowed and framed by an outline of brick. Roxie decided that the best course of action was inaction and stayed still. She had no idea what was going on or what happened and at the moment; she didn’t want to. A face came into view. She recognized the angled face and slicked hair.  

“Are you alright?” Loki sounded genuinely worried. She nodded. Black hair pooled around her, making her pale irises stand out. _The moon. That’s the shade._ Decided Loki.

“Give me five.” Loki stepped back. Staring out into the night, she rubbed her face. Slowly rolling over, she propped herself on her elbows. Steady blood droplets dripped from her nose. Her red blouse shifted, revealing her tattoo on her neck. That fact didn’t register to her. She didn’t even notice the absence of her sunglasses. Loki bent down and produced a tissue, handing it to her. Muttering thanks, she asked what happened.

“I teleported you. I would have done so sooner,” he quickly elaborated “but I had to get through the crowd and I couldn’t get a good view. This was the only alley where I could see you clearly.” He almost sneered at himself for sounding so sentimental.

She didn’t seem to notice, and if she did, she didn’t acknowledge it. “Thanks. Thank you so much. You don’t even have a clue about how happy I am that you showed up.” She looked him directly in the eye and smiled brightly, a line of dried blood on her cheek. He was taken aback but not so much that he couldn’t nod humbly. Wrapping a hand around her upper arm he helped her stand and handed her another tissue which she promptly used to wipe off the blood and stuffed it up her nose. She didn’t care how stupid she looked, but did miss her sunglasses.

She spoke to her ear piece. “I’m safe. Loki saved me.” After a few a minutes of reassuring her companions, they were ordered over. The scene was only three blocks away but Roxie sidetracked. Loki didn’t really mind and waited for the few seconds it took her. She returned with a new pair of cheap sunglasses, a red hat with a black band and bow that matched her blouse, and a can of Monster. Loki raised an eyebrow.

“I deserved it.” She downed half the can. “Want some? Careful, it has insane amounts of caffeine. It can kill you if you have heart problems.” He gave her a look. “I deserved it! And you’re a god or whatever so I don’t think it would matter.” He took a sip. Police and a few Shield cars circled the area, keeping out curious eyes. The exhilaration from flashing a badge and getting into a roped off area almost exceeded the second wind she was feeling.

The suspect and his party were lead into Shield vans while the other men were being led to the cop cars. She watched the leader stare in disbelief as he was being shoved into a vehicle. She couldn’t help the condescending tilt of her head or her tiny smirk. She was spending too much time with Loki.

“We are adding ‘creative’ to your profile.” Teased Natasha.

She smiled shyly in response and tugged at her shirt, revealing the tattoo. Loki could clearly see the shape of a bird in midflight on her heart. No, a raven. His crooked grin matched the bend of the beak.


	10. Little Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff! Who loves fluff? Badass chapter out next, I promise. Title is named after the song of the same name by Of Monsters And Men. Also, references but minimal spoilers to 'Clue'. Go watch it first.

Roxie sighed and entered the numbers Bruce was shouting out from his scanners while Loki manipulated the buttons on a dashboard near a small metal box in a larger box about five feet tall behind a blast shield in a containment room. From what she could gather, they were testing the resistance of this new type of metal against gamma radiation. They were hoping to recreate the effects of vibranium. This had been going on for an hour without stop and they couldn’t halt the experiment. Luckily, Tony entered before the next round of testing began.

“Movie night!” He shouted happily. “One hour! Eight of us, nine rings to rule them all!”

Bruce pondered this. “Oh. You mean Lord of the Rings.”

“Exactly! A movie marathon, excluding the Hobbit. We can’t end on a cliffhanger like that. How about it? You can all stay the night if you want. In fact, I’m planning on it.”

“Sounds great!” Roxie slung her bag around her shoulder. “I’ll be right back. I’ve got to get ready.”

Bruce sighed. “She did that to get out of entering data, didn’t she?” Tony clapped a reassuring hand on his back.

“Anyone would bud.”

 

Jane, Thor’s girlfriend and her assistant/best friend Darcy came too, having just arrived yesterday morning. That explained why Thor wasn’t there yesterday and today. Pepper Potts too, who was very nice about everything. Roxie liked them and upon request, created a butterfly and made it dance across the room. Loki claimed a long side of the couch and stretched out, closely resembling a cat. She didn’t know how they got him to stay. Thor plopped down next to him, earning him a cold glare. He slunk away to the other side.

The seats filled in until there was a space between Bruce and Loki, which Roxie filled. Loki didn’t seem to mind. After a shuffling of blankets and popcorn, the movie started. Several pillows were thrown at Tony for his on running commentary. They paused momentarily for a break between movies before continuing. Expecting to fall asleep during the next movie, Roxie left to change into pajamas. She returned in a black tank top and sleek grey sleeping pants. Seeing that Darcy and Bruce had fallen dead asleep, she grabbed two blankets from the closet. It was a cold night.

Hugging them to her chest, she let heat seep into the fabric. Checking that they weren’t too hot, she forgot the heat tolerance of others, she covered them. They were just a little cooler than towels out of a dryer, so they were comfortably warm. After the third leg was over, everybody shuffled to their rooms. The movement woke the two sleepers. Darcy was disappointed that she had missed everything and decided to stay up and watch Netflix.

Roxie decided keep her company. Noticing that Loki had been awfully quiet, she looked over. He hadn’t moved an inch, but his eyes were half lidded. Darcy scooted the ottoman over to Roxie, curled up to her, and proclaimed that she was the best person to sit next to during a movie because she was warm. This made Roxie laugh. Darcy picked ‘Clue’ and promptly fell asleep again before the opening credits ended.

Eyes half lidded, she could barely make out the movie through her sunglasses. Yes, she had been wearing them the entire time. Credit rolled. Loki snorted when the characters entered and distrectly sniffed their shoes.

“I didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”

He shook his head dismissively. “It’s not tediously outrageous like other forms of entertainment. That’s all.”

“You’ll like this then. It requires thinking.”

As the movie played on, Loki’s interest steadily increased. The jokes were subtle and clever, the wordplay well thought out, and the plot continued to become more intricate as tensions rose. Every now and then Roxie would look up at him and smirk. It became distracting to him.

“Pause please.” Jarvis complied. “Why are you doing that?” The light from the TV lit up her features, her now brownish tattoo on her chest fading.

“Oh, I just know how it ends.”

He made an exasperated noise. “You’d better not ruin for me then.”

“I promise. How do you think it will end?”

He considered it for a moment. “I currently have three theories and five possible outcomes.” She nodded but didn’t say anything. “It’s a very good movie.” He added conversationally. “The characters, their pasts, and their motives are interesting. Particularly in Wadsworth’s case.”

“Yeah. I feel bad for him. All of them really. Though some have done truly awful things they’re being blackmailed for it.”

“Instead of being brought to justice some other party is taking advantage of it.” He finished.

There was a lull in the conversation as they collected their thoughts. “Loki, which is the greater of the two evils? Doing the bad deed or taking advantage of the situation?”

“It depends. Either way, the outcasts are the real victims. Social norms put them in a shameful category and dictate that while they shouldn’t be persecuted by law, they should be shunned by society, leaving them nowhere to go when something like blackmail comes along. It’s evil to put someone in a bad place with no true choice.” Thoughts of Asgard and Thanos crept into his mind.

How he had been seen as lesser next to Thor. Thanos giving him the choice of being killed or controlled, after days of torture. Loki couldn’t care less about ethics of killing mortals, and greatly preferred that it occurred to them and not him. After his torment, he valued the lack of pain over the lack of freedom. Besides, he didn’t mind it that much when he was under control. Though he couldn’t. The thought sickened him. He was just thankful that he had been powerful enough to resist total control.

 “I agree,” Roxie drew him from his dark thoughts, which he was secretly thankful for. “And I’ve come to a conclusion from your statement. It’s more evil to take advantage of the situation.” When Loki simply nodded and had nothing else to say, she continued the movie. Loki couldn’t think of anyone he had sat down with and had a conversation of moral standpoint with other than her in a long time, even as brief as it was.

Next to him, Roxie tensed. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Jarvis, pause.” Loki tiled his head in interest. “I just had a talk with the literal god of mischief and lies about taking advantage of a situation.”

“I was wondering if you would catch on to that.” He smirked, amused.

“Well, have you ever done something like that?”

“Yes.” She crossed her arms expectantly. He sighed. “It was for good purposes. I was often called upon to bring in someone to justice, and that was a preferred if not mostly necessary method for doing so. I’ve gotten Thor and me out of more than a handful of situations.”

She thought this over. “Okay. That seems justified. It wasn’t selfish. How about for yourself?”

“Personal gain?” He imagined the bright eyes underneath. He found that he couldn’t lie about this to her. “Yes. I have, and in all terms and ideology that is evil. But how about you?”

Roxie brushed her hair back. “I guess I have. I can’t think of a specific event but yeah, there has to be one moment in my life that I’ve done it, aware or not. It’s just human.”

Loki mulled over her words. “So in truth, we’re all evil?”  

Her voice raised an alcove in reflection. “Or at least have done something truly evil. Does that mean we’re all evil?” Loki didn’t answer. He wanted to see what she thought. “You know what? No. Just no. There are too many genuinely good people in the world for that to be true. Jarvis, play.” Neither one minded her abrupt conclusion and ending of the discussion.

 

Hazy sensations greeted Loki as he woke up. He knew he wasn’t in his apartment but that didn’t tell him much about his location. A soft blanket wrapped him in warmth, but he was aware of another heat source. A person? This was odd. One night stands were not a habit of his. He turned to his left and cracked an eyelid open.

 A beautiful woman with dark wavy hair was sleeping next to him. Her chest rose and fell lazily. There was an odd shaped brown tattoo on her chest, which was scarcely covered by a black tank top which had slipped far down. Her eyes twitched under the lids, a calm expression on her face. His eyes traced the path of a faintly blue lock of hair that cascaded down her arm.

_Blue hair?_

He instinctively flinched back. _Did I sleep with her? With Roxie?_ His head whipped around. Why were they on a couch? This didn’t make any sense. How did this…. Oh. They had stayed up to watch Clue. They must have fallen asleep during the movie. Sure enough, Darcy was also snoozing. Carefully, Loki untangled himself from his blanket and sat up. He realized that his face had been within inches of hers.

Running his hand through his ruffled hair, he looked at the clock on the DVD player. Nine in the morning. With the late night marathon, he guessed it would be an hour before anyone besides the assassins would be up. Standing and adjusting himself, he made a quick exit. His second surprise of the morning was finding Steve already up and making a feast of eggs, pancakes, and toast. Frankly, he had completely forgotten that Steve was a mutant super soldier who probably didn’t need as much sleep as other humans.

Steve was too busy to look at Loki too closely. Otherwise he would find a slightly offset Loki. “Morning’.”

“Good morning.” _No matter what I do this will become awkward._ “Smells wonderful.”

“Thanks! Should we start getting everyone up?”

“I expect that no one will, but it would be a shame to waste such good food.”

A third voice behind him added sleepily, “I’ll take care of that.” He felt the presence of Roxie saunter up and sit at the bar. She had found her sunglasses somewhere amidst the heap of blankets. Sometimes Loki couldn’t care less but at other, rarer times, the obsession unnerved him. He willingly acknowledged to himself that she had rather pretty eyes. He couldn’t imagine why she never removed them. Scooping a few bits of egg and two pancakes onto a plate, she slathered the whole thing in unhealthy amounts of syrup.

“This is so good you have no idea. Thanks.” Loki got his share and proclaimed his required compliments and gratefulness. The other Avengers and company trickled in as time ticked by. Jane literally dragged Darcy to the kitchen before she bothered to resist. Loki had just gotten up to sit away from Thor, who had been trying to be more friendly than usual. At least he had stopped using the ‘b’ word.

Trying to slip away, he found himself face to face with Tony, who was smugly grinning. “Hey Rudolph!” He tensed as an arm was slung over his shoulder. “So what were you up to last night?” Loki kept his face impassive. “I didn’t know that you and you know who had a thing.” He said obscurely.

He pulled out his phone and pulled up a photo. “Stark, if you value your life…” The photo showed a passed out Loki and Roxie next to each other, Loki almost curled up next to her. Roxie caught a glimpse of the phone, but couldn’t get a clear image of the screen. Daring to lift a corner of her sunglasses, she saw the photo. She stood, arms braced on the table. A vein throbbed in her head as she tried to keep herself from exploding.

Someone screeched, likely Darcy. The flames of the stove had risen to a foot, engulfing the food. Loki used this distraction to snatch the phone and swiftly deleted the photo. Frowning, Tony tried to take it back but Loki dangled it over his head. The sight of Loki playing keep away with someone like Tony brought a smile to her lips. The fire died down as quickly as it started. After chasing Loki all around the complex, Loki became bored and teleported away.

Tony never got this phone back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iffy about this chapter, but at least I got around to some relationship building.


	11. Limits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This situation is ridiculous and I love it. I hope you do to. Disclaimer: This is not an accurate depiction of New York City, but it's close enough for me to be proud of it.

It was eleven at night and Roxie could not sleep. Several factors went into this. One was the fact that she had just gotten back from a mission with Steve. They and several other agents had gone aboard a U.S. Navy ship to combat against a fleet of pirates in the Gulf of Mexico. This would have been interesting if A) she hadn’t been stuck on the ship the entire time while everyone else did some important task and B) if she hadn’t been given such mistrustful looks by the crew.

She knew that Shield wasn’t exactly in the best of graces, but there were no numbers on her side when everyone else wasn’t there so it hadn’t been exactly fair. And of all things, she later learned that she was just there in case a fire broke out or something overheated. She knew that was the sole reason she was hired, but still. Loki wasn’t even there to keep her entertained. Reason two: she had drunk two cans of energy drinks just to stay awake during it all.

Reason three: Dayton had been texting her. She ignored every single one, but he should have at least gotten the memo that she had moved to New York. Her acquaintances, his friends, knew. It bothered her more than she would have liked to admit. They had been only casual so he shouldn’t have gotten attached. And if he had, why did he cheat on her? Not that it had been okay in the first place of course.

She was fighting off the insomnia by drawing. She couldn’t really tell if it was working, but it kept her from going insane. It was a perception piece, the view she had when she looked up while dangling from that cable line. Roxie quite liked the general layout. She might color it and print posters of it. There had to be someone in the world who would like it. Her phone on her bedside table buzzed. Sighing in annoyance, she picked it up.

It was a group text from Coulson sent to all of the Avengers. The entirety of midtown west was being evacuated and the subway system was completely shut down. The police were forming a perimeter until Shield and the National Guard arrived. Roxie read this over a few times. This _had_ to be the result of delirium. One does not clear out Times Square for a trivial matter. This was _huge._

Jumping out of bed, she threw on her most practical clothes. Jeans, comfortable leather boots with steel toes, a loose fitting top with no sleeves over a tank top, and a sleek black jacket. It freed her movements considerably. Running a brush through her hair (the blue streak was fading), she checked her phone again. Fumbling, she almost dropped it as a siren went off in the distance.

According to the text, giant mutant insects were currently running amuck. This time she really did the drop the phone. Snatching it from the floor, she read it several times. Nope. She hadn’t misread it. He immediately began to send out positions. Tony had the spider currently spinning a web off of the empire state building. Thor got the hoard of dung beetles directly below the building. That left the Captain, the two assassins, Loki, and her with the ants nesting in the subway. Bruce was on standby. Oh and there was one praying mantis currently unaccounted for.

She swore and ran out the door. Dodging the wave of people running/walking in the direction she was coming from, she glanced at her phone. She was to report the west perimeter since she was nearest to it. Clint was on the south, Natasha on the east, and Steve coming from Central Park. Loki was in Times Square. The closer she got, the less dense the crowd. After the last attack, no one was foolish enough to gawk. A line of police cruisers and a few Shield vehicles lined the street. Large quantities of officers and agents alike had their guns out and aimed into the empty street.

She saw Coulson shouting orders next to another man. She recognized him as Nick Fury. Honestly, she wouldn’t have it she hadn’t spotted the eye patch. Undeterred, she walked straight up to him. “Sir.” She said. He hadn’t heard her but Fury had.

“Roxie Jackson?” She nodded. “Maybe you can smoke out some pests for us.”

A smile played on her lips. “I hope so Sir.” Phil noticed her and turned.

“Hey.” He gestured to a black van. “Get yourself geared up. Go past the perimeter into the subway system. We’ve keep on the lights but the power to rail is off so it’s safe to walk on. I’ll send you a map. I want nothing to get past that turnstile. I need you to either kill or divert everything but people to the opening at Times Square; the other direction is already clear. Loki’s got the opening.” Roxie nodded in understanding, speed walking to the van.

Opening the back, she discovered a small armory. She took an earpiece, a gun, a hoister, a few rounds, a pouch of what were affectionately called cherry bombs, and a tiny grabbling gun. The grabbling gun was in case the cable car incident repeated itself. All of it snugly fit on her belt. Flashing her badge, she was given no hassle and easily made it into the tunnels.

The escalators were still working, but she wasted no time and ran down them. It seemed that she would never be able to just stand on an escalator again. An eerie film seemed to fall over the scene; the subway was never empty. The gun she fingered at her side gave her comfort even though she knew that she could always rely on her powers. She had practiced a good bit with Natasha; it didn’t mean she was a fantastic shooter but a decent one.

At the bottom as every shadow seemed to conceal a shape, Roxie stopped dead in her tracks and assessed her situation. Drawing her gun up and turning the safety, she moved. Though the station was well lit as promised, the tunnel was still very dark. She still pushed her sunglasses close to her face, glad she had picked the clearest pair she had.

According to the map, the tunnel ran right to Times Square and up to the financial district. Each side was a literal straight shot. Sucking in a breath, she jumped down to the rail. Pleased when she was not immediately electrocuted, she began to walk. Twenty feet through she could just barely make out her own hand. Lifting her left arm, she snapped her fingers. It sparked a small fire which she fed until it was bright enough to see.

A distant pattering sound caught her attention. Biting her lip, she inched forward. From the corner of her eye, a curious limb poked timidly at the wall before pointing in her direction. No, an antenna. A black head the size of a large beach ball emerged. She bit back a scream as thick pinchers on its mouth open and closed. It stepped into the light; no longer shy after discovering its superior size. It was several meters in length; its body had sickly shine to it.

The shape of the creature left no doubts in her mind. Standing half a foot taller than her was a giant ant. The long antenna swooped forward, freeing Roxie from her spell. She scooted back before it touched her. Looking her dead on it opened its pinchers and reached for her. A few seconds later it had a smoking hole in its head. The legs twitched.

Staring at the dead beast, Roxie reevaluated her situation. It wasn’t guilt; no, deep in her heart she knew that these insects had no place in this world. As long as they died quickly, there was nothing wrong with her sparing them from a life of experiments and hostility, though she didn’t even know if they could understand what those things were. Then there was the matter of putting her life on the line again. This was different, last time she had no choice and it wasn’t anyone’s fault.

 Now, no one could blame her for walking away right now. She couldn’t be forced or expected to take on a nest of giant ants. It was crazy. Eyeing the light behind her, she sighed and turned to the darkness. The only thing that held her back was the fact that the other Avengers were doing their duties, something that only they could do. For crying out loud, Clint and Natasha didn’t even have mutant powers and Tony had to rely on his suit. Even Bruce was willing to step in if things got really bad.

_If I can survive dangling hundreds of feet in the air, I can survive this._

Throwing a fireball down the length of the tunnel, several more ants shifted. Lifting her gun up, she moved.

_There’s worse jobs._

 

Loki ran a hand through his hair; which was damp from perspiration. This was getting ridiculous. Several times he had to call in to slow down the waves. At this point he felt as if he was doing all the work. And on some level he was really was. But then again, who else could stand in his place? Gritting his teeth, he blasted another ant with an ice beam, spearing its torso.

At least a hundred dead bodies lay around his feet, leaving little space for actual combat now. He might have to pause to move the bodies. The thought revolted him. He was a god and therefore above this kind of work. _Damn Odin. Damn Thor. Damn Shield._

“Damn them all.” he muttered under his breath. Fury was here and would have some ironic comment to make about the situation. He cursed the foolish scientist who thought himself prepared for the consequences of mistreating gamma radiation, the one who sparked this incident. The com clicked on. It was Coulson asking for a report and assurance that the guard had completely sealed the perimeter. His mood picked up slightly when Roxie reported that she was doing fine. At least there was that.

Gnashing his teeth, he threw another energy bolt. His limbs sagged as another bit of magic left him. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take.


	12. Situations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the awesome double update. Make sure you didn't miss the first.

There was a lull in the action as Loki demanded another cease in movement so that he could get caught up. Compared to him, she really did have an easier job. Shooting down an ant from the ceiling, she walked up to a ladder just below another subway platform. There was no telling how many could have taken refuge here. She just hoped that they hadn’t gotten to the surface.

Strangely enough there wasn’t a single ant there. _Huh._ The last one had at least a few. Peaking around the corner she saw nothing and heard no sound. Suspicious, she stepped into the open but nothing lunged at her. Roxie wondered over to the escalators to see if any were hanging around the entrance. Finding nothing there, she walked back. The area was clear, but something was off. Her sleep deprived brain searched for a possible answer.

Carried away with her thoughts, she managed to get all the way to the railway before noticing the crunching sound. Whipping her head around she caught the sight of a creature that could barely fit in the tunnel. The thing was at least fifteen feet high, all stalky green limbs. Luckily, its back was turned to her while it was busy munching on the dead body of the ant she had killed.

_The pray mantis._

She hesitated before tossing a fireball. It must have been karma because the pray mantis chose that exact moment to turn around. It recoiled at the impact but it dodged enough to survive. Only the skin of its backside was burned. Flipping its head in anger, it lunged. Jumping away, Roxie hit a pillar. Stumbling, she fell on her butt as soon as a green claw swung to meet where her head had just been.

She got a few shots in, in her few moments of clarity. A hard, thick shell connected with her chest and sent her flying. She landed abruptly and slid the last few feet. Pain and confusion shot through her body. Coming to her senses, the creature was already on the platform. Clamoring to her feet she willed her legs to move. Finding the escalator, she took two steps and ran up.

Half way up, her muddled mind became confused. She was halfway up, yet she wasn’t moving. Roxie stopped, though immediately scrambled forward when she began to sink back down. Then it hit her. _Did I seriously take the down escalator? What the hell is wrong with me?_ Snatching up the grappling hook, she gripped it tightly and pointed it upwards to the night sky. Praying that it would reach something, she pulled the trigger.

Jerked forward, she lost her footing. Her shins dug into the ridged steps. She string yanked her along, dragging her flailing body against the said ridged steps. It wasn’t her proudest moment. Taking far longer than she would have liked, she skidded along concrete until her head pounded against a street sign.

Abandoning the grapping gun, she quickly shot off in a random direction. Roxie had to dodge rows and rows of cars to get away. Once she turned her head around and regretted it. Though she had some distance on it, the pray mantis was awfully close. That didn’t stop her from calling in.

“Send a team to my last position!” She was huffing at this point.

“What happened?” Coulson replied urgently. “Get back there, we need you to hold position.”

“I found the pray mantis!”

His reply was dry. “Take care of it.”

Her eyes hardened. “What the hell do you think I’m doing? Would you like to tra…” The sound of a screech was cut off as her hand left the button. The claws had narrowly grabbed her. Swiping a hand, a wave of flame fanned out behind her, but hadn’t made a hit.

“What…” he began to say.

“Get someone over there!” she yelled. Dodging another blow, she ducked into a door which was luckily unlocked. Throwing her weight against it, she turned the dead bolt. Coulson might have said something then but she wasn’t listening. She was in a restaurant; a pizza place to be exact. _Maybe there’s a back door._ She retreated there, away from the violent thumping.

All she found was a kitchen with a freezer room. No exit or staircase. She was screwed. Glass shards tinkled as they hit the tile, a hard shell turning over tables and chairs. Jumping over the counter, Roxie slid into the freezer before the pray mantis could poke its head inside. It was dark, damp, and cold. The three extremes she bitterly despised and actively avoided.

She just drew up a flame when the steel door behind her inverted as it was being rammed repeatedly. The hinges were beginning to tear. It was really amazing that it hadn’t caught up with her or broken any of her ribs. Yet. She slapped a hand on the edges and began to seal them up. The cold air barely registered to her now. Finished, she stepped back.

For a couple rounds it seemed to hold. But only a couple. Absolute dread began to sink into her very bones. It was nearly identical to the feeling she had during the cable car incident, but she was in a new position now. Instead of praying for a solid surface, she wished the walls away as they seemed to close in and trap her. Ice froze her lungs, making it even harder to breathe.

The door fell with a clang. Not having the space or sense to back up, it collapsed on her legs. She was sure that it crushed them. Its great arms lunged at her, easily catching her by the throat and lifting her up the mouth. The pressure relived from her legs but they were greatly weakened. They probably weren’t broken, but they sure hurt.

It tilted its head, unsure of how to eat this new prey. A wave of panic overcame her, and Roxie kicked and thrashed, but wound up just concentrating on prying its claws away from her neck. Her air supply was completely cut off. Only a pitiful spark lit at her request, not even registering to the insect. Her oxygen starved brain simply couldn’t focus enough. Slight pressure on her windpipe ceased all movement.

She shut her eyes, arms dropping to her sides. Her lungs were about to burst. Pulled to its mouth, she braced herself. Fire needed oxygen to exist.

With what were her last gasps of air, she dared one last attempt. She flung her arms around the neck and hung on for all she was worth. That earned her another hard squeeze. A feeling brimmed inside of her. One she couldn’t quite explain.

It was the will to live.

Or another shot of adrenaline. They’re the same thing, really.

Flames ran down her arm. The creature withed and tried to toss her aside, but she held tight. Fire cracked and sizzled through the shell. It tried its hardest to beat her off but ultimately failed. The next thing Roxie was aware was the expanding and decompressing of her lungs. She was sprawled out against the convulsing body of the pray mantis. She scrambled back, ready for another attack.

But all it did was jerk randomly. It couldn’t do anything else with its head severed. The base of the giant’s neck and detached head was charred and smoking. White blood poured out. She was going to shoot it a few more times but she had no idea where her gun had gone. Leaving it as it was, she stumbled out into the night.

She opened her mouth to curse, but found that it hurt. She brought her fingers up to her neck and winced. She checked it out in her camera phone. Nasty red marks encircled her throat. Roxie gritted her teeth when she realized they would bruise. A few layers of skin her also broken through, but weren’t bleeding. She checked her tattoo was fine, which it was, just a little red.

Coughing, she could speak again. It ached a little to speak and her voice was a tad hoarse. She used her regained ability to let out a sting of profanities before reaching up to her ear.

“It’s dead.” She spoke flatly into her communicator.

“Good.” His voice was impassive. “Rondevu with an agent I have down there and stick with her.”

Biting back a retort about babysitting, she simply confirmed. She would save the fury for the more productive task at hand.


	13. Bruises And Tattoos

She wasn’t quite sure where she was so she began by retracing her steps. Suddenly, they got an urgent report from Natasha. “Stop advancing! There’s a big pocket, Loki they’re headed to you.” Roxie stopped moving as a stray ant raced past her.

“Pull back.” His voice was sterner than usual. “I’m….I’m being overwhelmed.” It sounded strangely like a confession to her. “Give them more room. They’re getting past me.” Roxie threw a swift fireball at the creature and ran the way it was coming from.

“I’m near you, I’m coming.” More ran towards her, and she shot them down. Coulson couldn’t discipline her for disobeying his orders if she was doing it to help a teammate. However, at the same time she could show defiance. She rounded the corner and found herself facing a line of ants. They scuttled back when she let loose a line of flame and tossed a couple cherry bombs at the few stragglers.

 In the distance was Loki, fending off the creatures pouring out of the subway tunnel. Half of the square was filled with the creatures, not counting the dead bodies already there. There were only a few abandoned cars along the street. He was decked out in golden armor, his helmet included. His really ridiculous helmet, she noted. Moving to the fork of the road and defending it, Loki noticed Roxie and grinned grimly. _She actually came._

She stretched her arms out to the side. Ribbons of flame extended from her fingertips. Brows furrowing in concentration, they reached almost to the other sides. The heat was enough to keep most away but the braver ones earned a stick of fire pierced through their skull. Loki did well holding the other end; leaving them corralled. To her surprise, Loki created a wall of ice. It was too slick for the ants to climb and cold enough that they slunk away.

 _Didn’t know he could do that._ An ant lunged for him. He easily dodged, duplicates of himself projecting around the square. She almost destroyed one that popped up right beside her. A surge ran to her as Loki picked though their ranks. They stopped at the fire and a couple tried to edge past her legs. She responded by breathing fire on them. It was more difficult than usual with her strained throat.

Unbeknownst to her, a particularly smart ant seized the opportunity to slip under the wall. By now, most of the ants were dead, killed by Loki. The smart ant crept up behind her while she was busy. Seizing her by the waist, it lifted her straight into the air, clenching hard. She screamed, the fire roaring outwards to the opposing force, frying a good bunch alive.

The jaws wrapped completely around her small waist; if they were her ribs they would be crushed. Thick razors dug into her sides. Her flesh stung as her skin was breached. Roxie let out another strangled cry as she was abruptly jerked back; her head connected with the ant’s and she was now completely upside down. She dangled there for a few moments before a resounding blast freed her. She gasped when she hit pavement.

There was another yell across the street. _Loki,_ she realized. Hoisting herself up on her elbows, she caught the sight of Loki throwing an icy bolt that froze a few but didn’t stop the others from overtaking him. In the cluster, he was grabbed and wrenched up in the air much like her. This time however, the jaws held his chest and actually pierced through his armor. She could tell by the blood that seeped out.

_Oh, no, no, no._

_No!_

He was hoisted into the air. The ant threw its head to the right and then to the left. On the left side, Loki was slung into a wall with a crash. She was on her feet in a second. Ignoring the protesting nerve endings, Roxie rushed to his side. She cleared a path by stomping, producing a large flare. _Don’t be dead. Please, please don’t be dead. This is all my fault. Please!_ She flung herself onto the ground next to him. Loki was stunned, groaning.

Amidst it all, she allowed herself a sigh of relief. _Thank you._ Roxie tapped his head, aware of creatures moving towards them. He only grimaced in response. She frowned as an antenna brushed her arm. It lost its head. Surveying the scene behind her, she found that they were being circled, the ants carefully stalking up. She got to her feet, wincing as a sharp stab of pain hit her.

She was exhausted; she could feel her powers dim. Roxie wished she had kept track of that gun. Beady eyes stared at her, waiting for her to make her move. Placing her legs in a defensive stance, she crossed her wrists in front of her face and closed her eyes. Twiddling her fingers, she formed a strand of fire between her hands.

She took a deep breath in and let it out. On the next intake, she poured the energy into the fire. It grew. She let out the breath, keeping the flame steady. It grew larger on the next intake. She repeated the process over and over until the ants stopped moving and a line of fire formed a large semicircle around the pair. It was larger than she would have liked it to be, but didn’t to burn Loki.

She brought her right foot under her shoulder and her arms down to her side. Though no longer connected to her, the fire still pulsed with every breath. A vein in her head throbbed; it was so tempting to release it now. She barely had enough left to send it out. But she held and grasped at a few strands of emotion.

How dare Coulson not listen to her? How dare these things attack Loki? Okay, sure they kind of attacked first but it was because they were hostiles overrunning the city. They _had_ hurt some people. Probably. And speaking of which, how dare someone create these creatures?  They clearly had no place in this world. They were set up to be met with opposition. And above all, how _dare_ Dayton text her?

She stomped her boot, the line of fire reaching down to touch the ground. She raised her arms up, the fire now rising a few good feet in the air. Coming to his senses now, Loki’s opened eyes fell on Roxie. He was aware of the wall of fire surrounding him like a hot summer day. Protecting him. The thought only partially annoyed him.

The orange glow created a fantastic shadow of her shape which fell on him. He could scarcely think through the pain, but he could still be in awe of her power. Roxie’s mind screamed as she reached her limit. Her arms flashed forward; she pushed with all her might. The fire spiraled away in a great flurry. She gasped, strength leaving her. She fell to her knees, heaving.

Loki watched as the fire spread over the waiting army ahead, their scramble to get away. For most, it was too late and they got scorched. They collapsed in large mounds. Bodies twitched. The survivors, he couldn’t tell how many, scattered away and left the plaza quiet. He tried to prop himself up, but he couldn’t find the strength as the pain overtook him. That didn’t’ stop him from trying.

Gaining control over her breathing, Roxie looked over at Loki, who was attempting to get up. At each try, the metal of his armor dug deeper into the pool of blood pouring from his wound. _God or not, he’s going to kill himself like that._ Crawling over, she grabbed his shoulders and shoved him down roughly. He bared his teeth but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want this mortal’s help, but he knew he needed it.

 _Of all mortals it could have been, at least it’s her._ He blamed the implying thought on blood loss.

She was solemn. “Thanks. Owe you another.” He regarded this with a simple nod.

“It was a matter of tact, really.” She gave a dry laugh and averted her gaze. “I could withstand such a blow; you could not. Otherwise, we would both be dead.”

She shook her head, a hand delicately brushing her stomach. She didn’t want evaluate that injury quite yet. Endorphins were blessedly sparing her for now. “But both inured. I’m just glad that it grabbed where it did. Any higher or lower or I would have been crushed.” She looked at his chest. “For crying out loud, it cut through solid metal!”

As if in response, he scrunched his face and threw it back. Endorphins weren’t so kind to him. He cursed himself for showing such weakness. Fortunately Roxie was busy assessing the current ant population. She didn’t like the piles and piles of fallen brethren, and especially despised the high chance of another wave.

“Can you get up?” He gave a not very promising half nod. He hissed and tried, falling straight back down. He swore that the gold was cutting into his ribs. Loki clenched his teeth when Roxie then reached around the edges of the chest piece. He raised a questioning eyebrow. “I’m taking it off.” He gave her a sardonic look. “Like we tried with Tony.” She added.

His voice was sarcastic. “Yes, and that worked so well the first time.”

“It’ll work the second!” she snapped.

If she hadn’t been in a survival situation (or more importantly, if she hadn’t noticed the green fabric beneath the armor) she would have never had ventured in such an endeavor. Finding clips on his shoulders and at the base of his hips, she unclasped them. He bared his teeth as it shifted; the rest of his face impassive. It was going to be excruciating.

He paled as she gripped the edges tightly. This was not going to be fun. “So tell me, has Tony seen your helmet yet?”

He stiffened but soon relaxed, confused. “What? No. I’m sure he and Clint will have a few choice words when they do. They have no respect for…” Green eyes became as big as saucers as it fact that the armor was off of him and in that split second, he hadn’t noticed the agony that overtook him. He gritted his teeth and refused to cry out.

He quickly amended it to include yelling. “Damn! What the bloody hell?” Loki was livid.

“Sorry, sorry.” Roxie preferred his usual smirking to his pathetic display which she was responsible for. He immediately sat up and shot her his loathing gaze he usually saved for Thor.

“How dare you?” he spat, clutching his bleeding chest. “I am a _god_ , you are beneath me!”

She was too busy reaching for his cape. Gathering it up, she tugged it from underneath him. She did catch that last part however. Boom. Like magic, the guilt was gone but the responsibility remained. “It was a distraction.” She explained. “Like when you make a kid talk while you clean a cut.”

“Do I look like a child to you?” _You’re acting like one._ She quickly folded the cloth length wise. “You’ve probably made it worse! Did you even make an effort to be gentle?” She tore his reddened hand from the wound, pulling aside his shirt and picking any foreign object from the flesh. Loki flinched as the green cloth was carefully placed from his left shoulder to his right hip. It perfectly covered the affliction.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” She brought a side under his arm and connected to the other end. He tensed as she leaned in, her body noticeably warm. Securing it tightly, she made sure it firmly pressed down. Which it did. The cloth dampened, but the blood clotted and didn’t seep through. Kneeling, she then hooked an arm under his left shoulder. He reluctantly obliged and stood too. Staggering for a moment, his left arm grasped the injury instinctively.

Roxie settled into a stance with her left arm below his rib, placing his right around her shoulder. Tentatively, she avoided the bruises along her neck and sides by laying his arm low on her shoulder and keeping the area from brushing against him. She led the baffled god racked with pain away from the scene.

“Does it hurt?” she asked a few moments later.

“Why…” he trailed off, his expression becoming indignant. Reminded of it, _now_ he felt it. Her little trick had worked. It began with a deep throb, continuing on in a stabbing twinge. The wound was tender and stung if he flexed it too much. It was hard to concentrate; it took all the motivation he could muster up to force his legs to walk. He needed help to walk and he was a god. It was _pitiful._ He sneered distastefully.

“Thanks.” Roxie interrupted the silence. “Again. Hey, if it were me and not you would be dragging away a corpse. Or I wouldn’t even _be_ here. The cable car incident, you know.” Her gratitude diverted his attention away. He focused on her words instead, which actually did seem to help. “And I would probably still be crawling up those steps.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw him watch her. _It’s working,_ she thought.

He caught the sight of her neck, studying it. Terrible red marks covered it, particularly at the sides. A horrifyingly deep line streaked the delicate skin at the base of her neck. The blemished areas were already forming fainting black bruises. His gaze trailed to the back. It was also inflamed, her tattoo just a touch red. It stood out starkly, a perfect black shape just under an inch and a half in length. A keyhole.

“I thought it grabbed you around the waist.” Roxie scowled. His tone made it sound like he was interrogating her. He was leaning on her and yet he still had that predatory essence.

“Pray mantis."

Stepping in might have been a good idea after all, he decided. This injury on her would have definitely been substantially less damaging to him. It was just a fact. If he hadn’t then she would have certainly been cut in half by that ant. He had undergone the torments of Thanos; this was nothing compared to that. Loki’s mood picked up at the thought.

“So. This tattoo of yours.” Her upper lip curled. His mood changed way too fast for her. “Come now, you said talking is a good distraction and I certainly need one.” She huffed as they finished walking their first of many blocks to travel. “Surely it means something, or at least have a story of some worth.”

She considered his statement for a long moment. “Don’t laugh.”

“I would never.”

“I was in College and everyone was getting one. This was Art College, so of course the tattoos were all really pretentious, ‘deep’, or regretful.” She paused and waited for a comment that never came. “Why am I even telling you this? Am I insane?”

“Life or death situations tend to lead people to reveal private things in a desperate attempt to redeem or explain a questionable act or decision. Especially if they don’t think they will survive.” He supplied insightfully.

She sighed. “That would be it. I was pressured to get one, but I wanted something unique, that would make me an individual. But I knew that it as hypocritical since I was following the crowd, but I got this to kind of symbolize that. It’s to show a metaphorical gate way. It means that there is more than the surface.”

“That’s…” Loki struggled for the world. “Beautiful. Somewhat pretentious, but it is a lovely metaphor.”

Her lips quirked upwards. “Thanks.” After a few seconds, she blinked. “Oh god, I forgot” She lifted her hand and pressed a button on the earpiece. “Loki and I are injured, exhausted, and almost completely drained. Loki needs immediate medical attention; we’re headed to the south perimeter.”

There was another beep, and she _knew_ it was Coulson. ‘Screw you’ she pantomimed through her teeth. But there was a second beep. Tony interrupted whatever he was about to say.

“Thor, go ahead and cover for your brother. I can finish up here.” She could feel Loki tense next to her, his face fierce. _Brother?_ She thought. _They can’t be brothers._

Thor immediately answered. “Which direction is it?”

 Tony ended the transmission with a dry, “Follow the trail of smoke.” They hobbled a few more steps before a large crash resounded behind them, just out of viewing distance. Roxie stopped but Loki dragged them forward.

“That would be Thor.” He muttered. Loki stumbled and Roxie grabbed the hand around her to keep him upright. She almost shrank away; his hands were unnaturally cold.

“Why are your hands freezing?”

“That would be the ice blasts.”

“Yeah but….

“You don’t exactly have a normal body temperature! You have no basis for comparison.” he snapped, pulling his body to its full height and looking down on her.

She returned his glare. _What’s his problem?_ “I know what normal feels like and your hands should be warmer by now.”

He looked away, his face stoic. “Leave it.” She huffed and did the same. They walked in silence, slowed by Loki’s occasional wince of pain. Meanwhile, his body temperature continued to decrease. She couldn’t figure out why. In fact, it was getting annoying. Grudgingly, she let a bit of heat sink from her to him, radiating off her skin. Unconsciously, Loki seemed to relax.

The pair came in sight of the perimeter. Shuffling past the innumerable amount of agents, cops, and national guardsmen, they made it to a medical truck stationed there. Calling in, Roxie released Loki and they let themselves be attended to. Once bandaged up and given painkillers, Loki let his attention float to Roxie.

He couldn’t help his horrified look. An ice pack had been hung around her shoulders as she slowly took off her jacket. The paramedic gradually lifted the sides of Roxie’s thin shirt, the shock evident on her face. Roxie only grimaced at the moment. Deep blue and violet bruises ringed her entire midsection. The woman checked for any deep skin breakage and wrapped ice packs in a towel around her waist. Eased backwards, she rested against the side of the van, back arched to keep it from making contact.

Pangs of guilt stabbed him. She was worse off than him and she had been the one who dragged them both back to safety. Loki frowned as Coulson spotted them and began to walk over, making a line for Roxie who didn’t seem to notice. He made a motion to the agent to stop and went over himself.

“Let her rest.”

Coulson gave him a concerned look. “How bad is it?” Loki described her injuries. Phil ran a hand through his hair. “She has to stop doing this! Why won’t she listen to me?” His voice was forlorn.

“She resents you.” He replied flatly. There was a pause as Coulson’s frown deepened. “Is it not obvious?”

Coulson glanced over at Roxie, who was now fiddling on her phone. “I can’t really blame her, but I thought we got past that when she joined the avengers initiative.”

Loki’s shoulders slumped into a small, noncommittal shrug. “Have you tried talking to her?”

“No, not really.”

“Well then.”

Coulson narrowed his eyes. “She doesn’t want me to talk to her. I’m seeing a double standard here.”

Loki scoffed. “That is irrelevant to the situation. Ask her how she is yourself; I am sure that she would appreciate the gesture. Now if you will excuse me, I have a certain director to avoid.” He made a quick exit as Fury walked over. After conversing with him, Coulson made his way over to Roxie.

Looking up at him, Roxie kept her face impassive. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Thanks. It’s just bruising really. It doesn’t hurt that much anyway.” It was true.

He wanted to say something else but he settled for a “Good. Good work out there.”

Roxie watched him leave, letting her head thunk against the vehicle. She sighed as her eyes fluttered closed. There seemed to be an endless stream of noise as the chaos ensued around her. Usually this type of energy would fire her up, but it only added to her exhaustion. _I have to stop doing this._ She didn’t exactly know what ‘this’ was, but she knew that she couldn’t keep going down this secluded path that she set herself on. But she didn’t know how to get off of it.

For what must have been the millionth time in her life, Roxie cursed her eyes, pressing her sunglasses closer. If it weren’t for them, she would be happier. She knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooohhh, did you catch the secret meaning at the end? Aren't I clever? ;) It might be a while before I crank out the next update, but stay tuned.


	14. Family Affairs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, my computer is so very slow and I've been unable to write let alone post. Which sucks becuase I have sooo much planned and I realllly don't want to deal with a virus right now.

Sliding through the mass of bodies shaking to a beat, Roxie inwardly groaned. She wasn’t a party person. And this was a Tony Stark party. She would have liked to declined, but she didn’t want seem rude. Pepper had introduced her to a few people, which was a big step in Roxie’s social life, but she had instantly forgotten their names. They were nice, but they just weren’t her kind of people. Though it was more likely that it was the other way around. Roxie knew that her sunglasses were sort of intimidating.

Someone crashed into her, but they quickly dissolved into the crowd. Roxie hissed and drew her jacket closer around her. It offered more protection than a skimpy party dress but it made her stand out. Pulling down her new red hat and gently smoothing out her scarf (which neatly hid her bruises), she reached the bar and accepted a small glass. She promised to herself that this would be her only one. She didn’t want to find out if her alcohol and her mixed.

Spotting Steve, Thor, and another man laughing, she made her way over after downing the entire glass and setting it down.

“Good to see you!” Thor greeted warmly. “I’m glad you could make it.”

She smiled. “Ditto.” She was surprised to find he was still upright. “I thought I saw you chug several bears earlier!”

“Ah, drinks here are not nothing compared to Asgard’s. You don’t want to know how much it takes to make one drunk.”

“It’d be interesting to find out, if you don’t have to deal with the aftermath.” Remarked Steve. Registering the other man’s silence, he gestured to Roxie. “James, this is Roxie. The newest addition to the Avengers initiative. Roxie, this is Colonel James Rhodes.”

They shook hands. “Nice to meet you. Tony has mentioned you before. Ah, he said you were… I can’t remember.”

“If he mentioned a ‘Sparks’, that’s me.”

James stopped to think. “He said something like, ‘short fuse’.”

Roxie fought an eye roll. “That’s a new one. I think I’ve heard your name before. Have you been in the news recently?”

“Well,” he said modestly but with a knowing look, “I’m the Iron Patriot.”

“Wow! That’s… Amazing!”

“Thanks.” He shrugged.

“I thought it was called War Machine.” Said Thor. “That name really instills power.”

He seemed to sink down several inches. “Everybody says that! It was a re-branding; it tested well in focus groups.”

“Even I think it’s too much.” Continued Steve. “It just doesn’t sound that good.”

“You’re Captain America!”

“Exactly.”

James rolled his eyes. “Anyway, Roxie, how’d you get in the Avengers?”

She shrugged. “I’m talented in a unique respect.” He looked at her eagerly. “Oh hell, alright.” She stepped closer, blocking the view from anyone other than the three. Upturning her palm, a small white flame appeared. Whipping her hand in a circle and curling in her fingers, she shaped it into a tiny ball. Flipping her hand over, she breathed gently in.

It flattened against her hand, bringing up her other and pressing it to her palm. Turning her hands in opposite directions; she removed the top and revealed a tiny spiral of fire resembling the Milky Way. Holding it there for a few counts, she pushed it into the air were it spiraled for several seconds before disappearing.

James face lit up, impressed. “That is the single most amazing thing I have ever seen. Seriously, how did you do that?” Roxie shrugged.

“Even across all the realms,” Commented Thor. “I have never heard anyone able create fire. Control it, sure, but never to that extent. It is quite a rarity.”

“My father was telekinetic, my mother could control fire but not produce it so,” she shrugged again. “I have no idea how. Genetics don’t work like that.”

Steve thought for a moment. “I have heard of inheriting traits from both parents, but never a new trait being created. Maybe it’s a dormant trait?”

“It must be something like that.” She shook her head. “Anyway,” At that exact moment, Tony popped up beside her.

“Hey Sunglasses! Glad you could make it.”

“I thought I was Short Fuse now.” She said pointy.

“It’s in the works.” He turned to James. “You know that girl you spoke with at Malone’s last weekend?”

“Yes.” He said warily.

“Turns out she’s a model. And she wants to talk to you. Oh, and this other girl wants to meet you Cap.”

James looked interested but Steve looked reluctant. “You and Natasha…” Tony ignored him and walked away. James and Steve shared a look, Steve sighing as they followed. As the crowd parted, Roxie could see Loki speaking with several women, a sly smile on his face.

“Would you look at that!” She told Thor. Following her gaze, he caught sight of Loki.

His tone was almost sad. “Indeed.”

“Hey Thor?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t mean to be pushy, and don’t answer if you don’t want to, but” she sucked in a breath. “I heard Tony refer to you and Loki as brothers the other day.” It wasn’t that long since the bug disaster.

Thor nodded. “Yes we are brothers. I apologize; I didn’t know that you were not aware.”

“It was none of my business. I was just curious.”

“You ask because we do not act or look like it.” It wasn’t a question. “He was adopted and resents me for it. He and I were not aware of it until we were well into our adult lives. I took the crown away from him, and now that I do not want it, he cannot claim it. It was never his to begin with anyway.”

Roxie was beginning to wish for another drink, but mentally slapped herself. “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s alright, it’s in the past. I just wish I had thought to tell you but it never occurred to me.”

She looked back to Loki, who was now making a woman laugh. “He must not realize how valuable family is. I have a cousin like that.” She shook her head dismissively. “Whatever.”

They talked for a bit longer, the topic coming around to the specifics of his hammer, which she found to be a fascinating topic. Tony showed up again, trying to egg Thor into a drinking contest and succeeded regardless of Bruce’s warnings. Roxie declined his invitation and assumed her standard position of the wallflower. It wasn’t even ten yet, but she decided that she had been there long enough.

Making her way to the exit, she was bumped and rammed straight into a person. That person whipped around and glared at her. She didn’t notice that it was Loki; she was too busy clutching her tender side. Loki immediately stopped when he saw it was her, but more importantly that she was in pain. She was pushed over again but this time she turned. Catching a glimpse of her wide, insane looking moon colored iris, and Loki knew she was about to shove back.

He gave his feminine entourage a curt ‘excuse me’ and grabbed her shoulder. He guided her away. Off the dance floor, she grabbed his hands and clutched them tightly. Before she even turned completely around, it registered that they colder than normal. She yanked it down; about to slug whoever it was in the face for _daring_ to touch her. She stopped when an angled face with bright green eyes and a slightly surprised expression met hers.

“What did I say about sneaking up on me?!” She huffed, releasing his hands.

“Just saving the poor bastard you were about to fry.” He was completely serious about that.

“Yeah.” She tossed her hair in annoyance. “That would have ruined the party. Thanks. I was heading out anyways. Give Pepper my regards.” With that, she left the slightly exasperated god to roll his eyes at her.

 

A hint of a breeze blew through the stagnant air, threatening to blow her hat away. Pulling it down, she stepped around a puddle. It was probably going to rain soon, but she was hoping to get home before then. She really didn’t want to pay for a cab when it was just a shortish walk. She walked past a large bank closed for the night, settling into the lull of night. Few people were out on this street tonight; around her were mostly office buildings and the white collar workers were already in their beds or at bars.

Roxie was mentally planning out her next art piece. She was thinking of some sort of play on shadows, when a crashing bang called her from her thoughts. Glass doors of the bank banged open, cracking the panes. Three bodies in uniforms and an assortment of hats, flashlights, and guns followed; landing with a clatter. She startled back.

She twisted her neck to get a good look in. But the doors pulled in too quickly, the guns flying in just as they shut. She stood in shock. Only a few forces on earth could do that, and she came from a family of those who could. There was no doubt in her mind, but that didn’t stop the shock. Clenching her teeth, she pounding up those steps and yanked the doors open so hard it aggravated her neck.

Alarms should have been blaring, lights should have been flashing but they weren’t. Only very few on her dad’s side of the family could work so quickly and with such precision as to turn off and disable the alarms like that, and her dad wasn’t even one of them. Running over the list of candidates, only one possible outcome remained. To her, it was painfully obvious yet it hurt the most.

Behind the counter, shoving bundles of cash in a ridiculously large garbage bag, stood a figure just a little taller than her. His face was covered in a ski mask, but she could make out that he was a man, no more than a boy really. Roxie imagined him with short, brown, spiked up hair but a rather plain face overall. He turned to her, his eyes, which were his only abnormal feature, meeting hers. They seemed to gleam silver in the dimness, resembling hers far more than she cared to admit. He stumbled back for a second, before regaining his confidence. Those eyes she hated on herself and didn’t care for on her loved ones, she now despised on him.

“Leo.” Her voice was low. It gave away nothing. “Leo Jackson.” She tried to scoff but it caught in her throat. “I thought you were better than this. I really did.” A large flame engulfed her hand. “Put the bag down and get on the floor. Right now.”

He shot her a scrutinizing look. “No. You’re one of them now.”

The fire flared in fury, Roxie flung it at him. He dropped the bag and dove just in time. Filing cabinets exploded, paper flying everywhere. She tossed a few more so he knew she was serious. Under her the ground softened as the cement molecules separated. Not realizing what was happening, she couldn’t do anything as it suddenly overtook her and dragged her down to her knees. It solidified. She growled; this was one of his specialties. Creating sink holes with telekinesis was a rare ability which he of course possessed. Yet she hadn’t known he could do it with such a hard surface.

A lamp flew towards her but she easily blasted it out of the way. More objects were thrown; it was insulting really. They were both stronger than they last time they had met, but he should have expected more from her. Roxie swept her arms around in a large circle, creating a tornado of fire. It spun wildly, covering the diameter of the sink hole. Pulling her arms down, she released it. Fire was blown to every corner of the room.

Leo took cover again. Roxie took the chance to get out of the hole. She directed heat to her legs. The loose concrete softened and the tile that dug into her thighs cracked further. Clamoring out, she rose to face Leo. He now had a gun he had presumably grabbed from a guard pointed at her. In his hesitation, she drew up a wisp of smoke from the burning wall into a spark and sent it hurling at him.

It grabbed his foot. He jolted upwards, letting off a round. Roxie threw herself behind a pillar. She was safe here. She knew for a fact that he was a long distance fighter; he wouldn’t come near her. Telekinetics and the like rarely did. Conjuring up another fireball, she tossed it over her shoulder.

He leaped back and fired more shots, scooting along the wall to get a better aim point. Keeping a watch, she drew out her phone and dialed Thor. She was almost afraid that he wouldn’t pick up until it blessedly clicked on.

“Yes?”

She frowned. “Loki?”

“Speaking.”

“How the hell… Whatever. Tell Thor to take his hammer and get down several blocks south.” Out of bullets, Leo threw the gun at her. She knelt down, aware of his next move. He would systematically bring objects around the pillar in an attempt to hit her. It was a sloppy technique and he knew it. You didn’t quite know where you were aiming. “He’ll know where to land.”

Loki’s voice dripped with arrogance. “Whatever you need him for, I can do in his place. He is currently trying to get drunk off Midgardian mead.”

“No, come on, I need his hammer. Get him down here.” It was hard to keep her voice steady. A chair flew far too close to her skull for her taste.

“I can simply teleport…”

“Damn it Loki! There’s telekinetic robbing a bank here. He can move anything on earth accept maybe that damn hammer. I don’t care what’s between you and Thor, but do this for me, not him.” She flinched as a pencil swapped her chest, leaving it stinging.

There was a pause. “Very well then.” He said dryly. He might have said something else, but ended the call and slipped it back in her pocket. She brushed her hair out of her face; her hat had disappeared. She straightened, pulling herself to her full height. Time to go on the offense.

Roxie peaked around the corner to see Leo raise his hands and look pointedly at a podium. It began to rise. She took the opportunity to charge at him. He saw her and threw it at her, at full force. She dodged, whipping her hand up. A blade of fire soared towards him, he threw a chair at it to dissipate it. Fire was a very intangible form, difficult to impossible for a telekinetic to control when not in a compressed form.

She stomped up a pillar of fire, he brought the chair back around again. She sent another few blades and he repeated the action. For every step she took, he took two back until his back was to the wall. Summoning all her strength, she made a fist and sailed toward his face. He moved just in time for her to land a blow straight through the wall, the edges of the hole charred. Her hand stuck, he tried to slip away. With her free hand, she reached over and grabbed his mask.

Tearing it from his face, she managed to free her limb. His eyes were wild like hers, he was as outraged as she was. She barely acknowledged that his new feature, a scraggly beard. He was taller, too. Taller than her now. In a rush, she was suddenly ripped from where she was standing and was tossed several yards away to land on her back.

She laid there stunned. The sensation of falling hit her and paralyzed her like it did on that cable car, only this time she didn't scream. With all the telekinetics in her family, none had ever actually used their power to directly move another body, not even to push someone back. It was taboo. A sacred code now broken.

Her gaze flicked to a shadow that came upon her. A ridiculously large wooden desk was hovering above her. It descended. Lifting her legs up, she curled them to her chest. She let her fire and rage overtake her, acting on autopilot. Inches away from her, flame surged forward and she kicked.

Wood splintered and cracked, planks hitting the ground. Roxie collapsed in a heap. That had taken so much out of her. Still she rose to her feet. She met his surprised eyes, hating how she knew they were hers. She could become like him so easily. All it took was one step in the wrong direction.

“Stand down Leo. You can't win this. I'm stronger than you, I always have been.” Roxie walked towards him slowly, now just a few feet from him.

He sneered. “Prove it.”

She threw a fireball. While Leo directed away, Roxie landed a high kick on his stomach. He stumbled back before coming at her. He punched her right in the neck, causing her to cry out. In anger, she tore at his hair and kneed him several times in the gut. He groaned and dragged her legs out from under her, making her land hard on her back.

He was on her at once, pinning her down by the throat. She gagged, heat rising in her heart. She yelled and thrashed, remembering the last time something had her by the neck. Swelling out, fire in her body exploded, covering her with blessed heat and him with cursed burns. He cried out and released her. She scrambled away, a hard boot kicking at his face. In only a few moments they were on their feet again, ready to fight it out until one collapsed or was dead. Roxie really didn't want to kill him, but she felt as though it wasn't her choice. It was up to her rage.

Before either could move, the ground shook as something hit the ground. A few seconds later, a large muscular figure came into view, a silver hammer in hand. Roxie filled with relief. She wasn't going to kill him, accidentally or otherwise. Thor wouldn't let that happen.

“I shall give you a fair warning. Stand down, or you will regret it.”

“Never!” He snarled. To Roxie's bewilderment, he didn't seem the least bit fazed by his odd colored eyes. People always were, regardless of any warning.

“Very well.” He strutted forward.

“Wait!” Thor looked to her. “Just throw it at him. That's it, trust me.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Do you really doubt me that much?”

Even through her sunglasses, they shared a look of understanding. Thor swung his hammer around and threw it. Leo raised his hands, instantly ready to deflected it. Seeing that he could not move it, he seemed to reel back equally in surprise as in defense. Roxie was right behind him then, grabbing his collar and punching him in the face. He hit the ground with a thud.

She stamped down on his chest and he tensed. She gestured to an object near Thor's feet.

“Could you hand me that gun?”

“Of course.” He called his hammer back and easily picked the gun up and handed it her her. She checked for ammunition. Turning the safety off, Roxie pointed it down at him.

Leo sneered. As she watched him, she could tell that Thor was examining his eyes. “You're not going to shoot me.”

Roxie pointed the gun to the side, her gaze never leaving him and pulled the trigger. He jumped at the sound and she aimed it back to him. “I have a gun to your head. What makes you think I wouldn't?”

Thor looked to her again, trying to discern her expression. “This is my cousin I mentioned.” She explained. “A level five telekinetic. Who ran away a month ago and thinks hes immune to everything. And who left his family in tears, fearing the worst.” The last comment was directed at the man on the floor. “The infamous Leo Jackson.”

Thor put a hand on her shoulder, coaxing her back. Grudgingly, she obliged. He placed the hammer on Leo's chest, causing the young man to groan and writhe. “The other Avengers and police are on their way. Stand outside and wait for them.”

She nodded. “Alright. Look, the regular police can't hold him. He will escape.”

“More than likely, Stark has a holding cell available.” His voice was calm and reasonable. “He won't. He will be brought to justice under a fair trial.”

“Thank you.” Roxie's voice was scarcely a whisper. She walked out, taking post outside. Trying to quell the turmoil going on in her head. She would have preferred to have died than to face her family now. It was going to kill them, seeing one of their own resort to doing such a thing.

Knowing that they could easily do the same.


	15. Harsh Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also known as: The chapter were you go damnnnn Roxie!

Roxie stood in the corner, agitation rising by the second. Tony and Natasha were scrambling to find a suitable Shield location to hold Leo. Clint was monitoring him on a computer; she could see Leo’s glare as Bruce fitted him with an anti-electrical output device. It was a standard device used for telekinetics. It mechanically locked around the forehead like a headband. Steve, Thor, and James were left with the job of pushing out the not too eager party goers.

Loki hovered around everything, pacing back and forth. Occasionally, he would dismiss a possible location. She glanced down at the paper work before her. It was a report with all information she knew about him on it. She had an overwhelming urge to burn it; she didn’t like how it laid out his entire life story in a few short paragraphs. It didn’t seem to reflect the gravity of what he had done.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bruce leave the room. Making up her mind, she put the paper down on the table and quietly made her way out of the room. However, Loki spotted her.

“Roxie.” He said clearly. “Where are you going?” Barton turned his head towards her.

She kept her voice flat. “I’m going to see him.”

“That is a horrible idea.” She shrugged. He brought his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes. “What do possibly you hope to accomplish?”

Roxie didn’t answer. Barton spoke up. “Roxie, as much as I hate to take his side, I have to agree.” Loki’s face briefly flickered to one of irritation. “We’ve got what we need. Talking with him is just going to make things worse.”

“He’s my cousin.” She said with an edge. “He’s put both sides of my family at risk and scrutiny because of my affiliation with both, and he knows that. But I guess he didn’t realize or care about that. Or the fact that what he’s done will crush them. I have a right to some answers and I’m going to get them.” She spun on her heel and strutted out.

Loki crossed the threshold in a few easy strides. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, only to be met with blazing heat. “Ah!” He withdrew it quickly. He stopped and let her leave. He felt a pang of sympathy and he couldn’t let it go.

 

Roxie drew in a shaking breath. This would be her last time to see her cousin. Ever. None of her family would. It should be his parents and sister who had this so called honor, not her. She lifted her hand to a screen on the wall and was admitted access. The door handle clicked and she opened it. She slid in, softly closing it.

Leo lifted his head to watch her. He was seated at a table in the center of the brightly lit room across from another chair. His hands were handcuffed to a hook imbedded in the table. A bulky ring of metal adorned his head; he probably had a headache from trying to escape it. She studied his face, memorizing it. She lifted her hand to take off her sunglasses and hook them on her shirt. It was a custom in her family to not cover their eyes around each other.

She pulled back the chair with a screech. Plopping down, she removed her newly found hat and placed it on the table. Her jacket sagged down on a shoulder; her scarf was loose and hung down low enough to show her bruises. She was willingly showing him that her defenses were down. The intense stare she gave him proved that she was not defense _less_. He looked down.

Roxie leaned back, comfortably crossing her legs. “I guess we can take down those missing posters.” No reaction. She tilted her head and propped up an elbow. “After a month, we thought you were dead. It would have been better if that was the case.”

He glared at her, lifting himself to sit up straighter. “I thought that was what you were trying to do.”

“It’s not what I wanted to do. You drove me to it.”

“You fired the first shot.” He sneered.

“You drove me to it.” She repeated.

He stood up, chains clanking as hovered over her. “And who drove me?! Shield! The ones you now work for.”

“Who was the one who robbed a bank? Who hurt people, innocent people? I never said I condone the registry, I know what it drives mutants to do. But at the end of the day it’s those mutants who make that decision, not Shield.” Her eyes bore into his. “I don’t hate it any less than you, but your actions justify theirs.”

“You’re their lap dog; of course you would say that. You’ve never seen what they’ve done.” Leo sat down with a disappointed clatter.

“I have. I’ve been poked and probed too. It was hell. The system’s broken and I _hate_ it with all my heart but you’re not making it any better.” They sat for a few quiet minutes. “Damn it, you had a future Leo! What ever happened to that?”

“What happened to yours?” He scoffed bitterly. “You were the best artist, you were so very talented. You even went Art school for Christ’s sake. But one measly offer from Shield and throw that all away.”

“That career was going nowhere. At first I joined to get out of that stupid check, but then I realized I could actually make a difference in the world. That’s more than you could ever do, especially now. What were you thinking? What about Janice?”

Leo scoffed. “What about her?”

“She’s your little sister! She’s been struggling ever since you left! Did you know that she’s been avoiding public places just because she can’t hear in them? You know she loves going places. Her parents can’t interpret, she feels isolated. She was never like that with you! You could’ve made quite an interpreter; maybe you could have even worked at a school and you threw that all away.”

Janice was born deaf, but could hear with her implants in and was a low level telepathic. Her powers were limited to receiving and sending messages, but only if the participate was willing. It wasn’t the perfect system since she really could only hear in quiet places. She could only communicate in ASL and Leo was the only one who had the skills to learn it. He had wanted to be an official interpreter or even a teacher for a school of the deaf.

“You knew I was in New York. You knew the Avengers are stationed here. Did you actually expect to get away with it?” Roxie ran a hand through her dark hair. “You really are an idiot. Do you know what this looks like? Shield could suspect me for conspiring. Do you realize the danger you put my side of the family in? You’ve endangered strangers you haven’t even met. And do you know who has to be the one to tell them? _Me._ I don’t even want to think about it.” She scoffed and fell silent, trying to quell the heat rising in her chest as her head began to ache in the effort.

When she looked back to him, she saw Leo staring at her neck. When he noticed that she caught him, he gave her a sour look. “I hope you enjoy that.”

Ever so slowly, she brought a delicate finger to her scarf and gently pulled it down. “Don’t be so arrogant. You didn’t help it any, but you certainly didn’t cause it. Know where I got it?” His expression was wary. “Well, if you weren’t under a rock or in a drug house, I wouldn’t put you above either, you would. I don’t think it hit the news, but I was involved in that giant bug infestation last month. It was all over the news. Worth it.”

Roxie stood, the chair screeching in protest. She lifted her shirt revealing a horrible, yellow, bluish ring around her middle. Leo blinked, eyebrows furrowing. “Still hurt like hell.” She put it back down and placed her hat on her head. “Hurts less than this.” She remarked. She shifted around the table so she was right next to him, his scary eyes boring into hers. “Unbelievable. You’re really something. Now I’m not clear about my feelings towards you right now, they certainly are not in your favor, but I do know what your father, mother, and dear little sister would do, so on behalf them,” She leaned over and hugged him tightly. “I love you.”

He shoved her away, hard. If looks could kill, she would be thankful that that would be all they could do. Holding his gaze, she gripped the tabletop and hunkered down. “You remember who put those handcuffs on.” Leisurely, Roxie straightened up, put her sunglasses back on, and left Leo screaming and cussing.


	16. Time Well Spent

Loki found Roxie curled up in a corner of the library. After her little display, he had expected her to storm home in a violent rage, or at least take out her anger in the gym. Instead, she was quietly watching the rain hit the window pane. He was about to withdraw but for once she noticed his presence.

“Hey.”

“Hello.” He offered.

“Did everyone see that?”

He considered it for a moment and saw no use in lying. “Yes. Though it was more out of concern that they did. Bruce, James, and Thor couldn’t stand it though, and soon stopped.”

She nodded her head in confirmation. “It’s okay that they did. It’s nothing I wouldn’t have said to them. Sorry about your hand, I wasn’t myself. I really do appreciate what you were trying to do.”

“It’s perfectly fine.” He became a bit worried when she didn’t respond, so he took a seat at the table and faced away from her. “It’s going to be fun to go out in _that_.” She snorted a little. His accent made every snarky comment funnier. “I’d hate to be any one of those drunks out in the street.”

Roxie smirked. “Could you imagine? Wearing heels and a party dress?”

“I have no experience in that respect,” he knowingly looked over his shoulder at her. “But I’d rather stay ignorant to the specifics. Unless you can enlighten me.”

She shook her head. “First off, I wasn’t drunk! I was at my two aunts’ wedding. We were at an old church in the country, and the limo was horribly lost. They had to turn off onto this pretty much invisible road, which everyone had trouble finding. Since everyone was busy and I didn’t have my driver’s license, I ran down in this skimpy dress and stilettos. The entire road was dirt, and I had just gotten to the end of it when it started to pour.”

Loki gave a deep chortle. “I hope they let you ride back.”

“Well, actually I walked. I was going to ruin the seat. I just hosed off the dirt and steam dried that sucker.”

“Creative.”

She shrugged, face lighting up. “I try.”

Loki stood, smoothly straightening his outfit. It was what he had worn to the party, a smart but casual suit. In a flash of light, it transformed to his usual attire of leather. “Let’s not repeat that then. Would you like a ride home?”

“Um,” she tilted her head in confusion. “Yeah. Sure, I guess.” He extended a hand out to her. She accepted it, slightly miffed.

“Think about where you want to go.”

Behind her sunglasses, he caught a glimpse of her blinking before shutting her eyes and concentrating. In an instant, a green light enveloped them. When she opened them, she was at her apartment door. She froze and stared. Loki released her hand and made a mock gentleman wave to it.

She looked to him and smiled meekly. “Thanks. That… Was absolutely incredible. And very, very nice.” She fumbled for her key, unlocking the door. She gestured in. “Would you like to come in? I promise I won’t shut the door in your face.”

“That would be a nice change of pace.” He followed her in, not knowing what to expect. A flick of the lights revealed a large room. The living room furnished with a cozy blue sofa loaded with pillows and blankets and a small TV opened into a tiny kitchen and dining room. A hallway veered to the left, leading to a small laundry room, bathroom, and presumably a bedroom. Candles were everywhere; wax dripping onto the various surfaces.

The carpet dipped down to a wooden floor, attaching to a set of glass doors. Through them Loki could see what appeared to be a studio filled with canvases, stands, and boxes of paint. “Can I fix you anything?” She disappeared into the kitchen.

“Do you have tea?” He didn’t think she would.

“Iced.”

“Brewed?”

“It came in a pouch.”

“No thank you then.” He studied a beautiful painting hung on the wall. It showed a scene of a park street and trees with browning autumn leaves. Across from it was one depicting street lamp. The one over the couch revealed a campfire; flames seeming to dance as smoke rose up through a hole in the forest canopy. The fire was painted with tremendous detail, as if someone had studied fire for hours. Or had first-hand knowledge.

She returned with an energy drink, taking a large swig. “Like it?” She was referring to the painting of the park.

“Yes. I didn’t realize you were this talented.” He was being completely honest. “I had expected some abstract art.”

“Thanks. Yeah, I’ve never really liked Picasso. Well, they’re not bad but I’m just not into it.” She took another sip. He watched her. Her hand tremored, shaking the cold drink. The last time he had seen her drinking one was after the bug incident, back at the base. And the first had been in Tennessee, after that fiasco. After two pretty traumatic events. Her hand had trembled then too.

“Would you like me to stay?” The words were out of his mouth before he gave it a second thought. She gave him a scrutinizing look, realizing he must have seen her hand. Less kindly, he added “Do you need me to stay?” She winced, body deflating in a sad sigh. “I see. I will then. On one condition.”

Roxie snorted. “I don’t think that’s how bargaining works Loki.”

“You” he continued. “Must remove your sunglasses.”

She gaped at him. “You’re kidding. You’re the one who offered for crying out loud! What do I get out of this?”

He gave Roxie a look. “Quite frankly, this obsession is very off putting and as I can assure you, creepier than how you perceive your eyes. Against my better judgment and in light of the situation, I find it best to be generous and keep you company. However, I cannot stand that confounded thing and seeing how it is just the two of us here and the fact that I don’t think you value my opinion very much, I don’t think it’s too much to ask.”

Her fingers curled in. She wanted to burn his face off. But a bigger factor appeared. She really didn’t want to be alone right now. There wasn’t even a specific reason; but after spending time with her cousin, she felt alienated as a mutant. If it wasn’t so late, if the only people she felt truly connected with, her family, weren’t sleeping, and if she didn’t have to break the news, she would just call one of them. All she had right now was Loki. Infuriating Loki.

“Just” She tossed her hands in the air. “Sit your ass down and turn on the TV or whatever and don’t bother me. I’m going to put my stuff away. Touch anything and I’ll fry you.” She spun around, storming down the short hallway. Loki smirked, long legs carrying him to the couch. He elegantly laid down, the full length of his body taking up the space. Picking up the remote, he turned the TV on and scrolled through the cannels before settling on the news.

The newest story grabbed his attention. Roxie strolled in with a drawing pad and pencils in her hands. Her jacket and boots were discarded, but most noticeably her sunglasses were gone. He was infatuated with the television, which annoyed her for whatever reason. She almost growled and followed his gaze.

“…..eye witness reports, a young woman with black hair ran in.” Her blood ran cold. “As unbelievable as it may be, she reportedly began to shoot fire from her hands at the suspect. Even stranger, the suspect began to throw things back, but without touching anything! Eye witness described him as some kind telepath.” The screen flipped to a view of the bank exterior. “From then, the guards said they ran from the scene, pulling away any curious bystanders.

“After a few minutes, people spectating from a distance saw a man with a hammer fall from the sky and land just outside. He is assumed to be Thor, one of the mysterious members of the Avengers initiative last seen active in the battle of New York. After another minute, a gun shot was fired and the woman stepped outside to await vans, which had Stark logos. The seemingly alive perpetrator, a man of about eighteen was arrested. Police arrived and secured the scene.

“And now the shaken witness and the whole city are left with many questions and too few answers. Who is the suspect? Who is the mysterious woman? What happened and what were those mutant abilities? Is she a member of the Avengers? And the most important one: Will we ever know for sure?” There were a few more lines of dialogue before the story cut to a commercial break.

Roxie bit her lip, reaching for the remote resting on the coffee table. At the same time, Loki’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Their eyes locked, and Roxie remembered that she didn’t have her sunglasses on and was seeing him clearly for the first time, and realized he was actually very handsome. Then she recalled again that she didn’t have her sunglasses on. Loki saw her vaguely flinch back but didn’t comment on it. He was busy studying her lovely eyes.

She bared her teeth, but it quickly became a smile. Loki’s eyebrow rose in confusion before he noticed that her wrist was heating up. He held his grip for several more moments before withdrawing. Her grin widened, and annoyed expression overcoming his features. She tapped his legs, prompting him to move which he did so reluctantly. She folded her legs underneath her, staking her claim.

He sat up properly, sitting as if he was on a throne; completely in control of his space. The knowledge that he was actually a prince made itself known to Roxie. After a press of a button, his frown deepened.

His voice dripped. “You can’t be serious.”

“Shush. Give it a chance.” He groaned, eyes turning to the screen as the newest episode of Say Yes to the Dress played. Roxie looked down, attention turned to her sketch pad. Making her decision, she drew a few lines. Once she had the general shape, she reached for a color. Loki broke his gaze from the paper, his distain fixing on the show. A few minutes passed. He began to find it tolerable and maybe a bit enjoyable. It was at least a little interesting to see the family and friends bickering. When it went to commercial, he checked on Roxie.

She was completely captivated with her work, which he could now tell was an iron fence, delicate and intricate with ivy curling around the bars. With his magic, he reached out and willed the remote button down. She didn’t even notice. Satisfied with his choice, he turned his attention back to the screen.

A half hour slipped by, both entertained. Eventually, Roxie finished and looked up. Her nose scrunched and she glared at him. Loki simply smirked, keeping his eyes on the documentary about ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. She shook her head. “I don’t want to know how you did that.” She put her things on the table, curling her legs to her chest. Neither quite knew what time it was.

When it flipped to commercial, Loki regarded her drawing. “That’s very good.”

“Thanks.” She replied, prideful.

He paused. “You own a lot of candles.” He commented.

Roxie scoffed. “That’s a stupid observation. There’s an obvious reason as to why.”

“Maybe it’s not as obvious to me. Would you care to show me?”

“You first.” She challenged.

Loki lifted his hand and twirled it. An image of him, a figure, appeared in the space between. His duplicate leaned back, resting his legs on the coffee table and folding his arms behind his head.

“You’ve already shown me that! How about something a little less narcissistic?”

He sighed, annoyed at her lack of reaction. “You know, I normally don’t call upon my magic on a whim.” The image faded in a green flash, replaced by the image of Roxie. The real Roxie tilted her head. “To call upon the energy of the universe for a small parlor trick is not exactly worth it.”

She leaned in, meeting the eyes of her counterpart. Roxie was suddenly very aware of how exposed she was and averted her gaze, shielding them with her palm. “Well, consider it practice.”

His mood sunk. “Let me guess. Are the eyes not right?” he said sarcastically. “This is not something I do for anyone; and on those rare occasions they are always much impressed than ever you are.”

She shrugged. “I come from a family of mutants. Very few tricks like that can impress me.”

He scoffed. “As if you can do better.” As he said it, a tiny flame shot from her finger tip to the candle in front of them, lighting the wick in a flash. She grinned as her mind formed it into a snake, the ropey body piling over the edge and wrapping its coils around the glass.

He tilted his head. “It’s a good try.” Roxie narrowed her eyes, making him smirk. The tail severed from the wick, the snake suddenly leaping out at him. It went two feet before she dismissed it into thin air. Loki didn’t flinch because he knew she would never burn him like that.

“That’s impossible.” He noted dryly. “Honestly, many sorcerers can summon fire but they create it out magic, not from their bodies.”

“Well, it’s clearly possible. I know for certain that it comes from me, I can’t make it out of thin air.” Loki made a small noise of interest. “How does yours work anyway?”

“A simple trick of manipulating the energy of the universe. Yours?”

“More straightforward. I tell it what to do.”

“That’s certainly easier.” She shrugged, unfolding her legs and stood. “What are you doing now?” he said, exasperated.

“Getting my drink and food. I’m starving. Do you want anything?”

He sighed. “Anything you have I suppose.”

Roxie returned with her drink in hand, newly charged phone in her pocket, a bag of chips, and a netted sack of apples. “An… odd combination, but at least somewhat healthy.”

Roxie huffed. “I haven’t been to the grocery store in a while and I didn’t exactly plan on company.” She flopped down, dropping everything on the table and nabbing an apple. “It’s like two in the morning you know.” She said through bites, careful to hide her eyes with her hair.

“Hmm. I thought it was later.” He looked distantly at the pile before picking up an apple for himself and studying it. “Most women would be uncomfortable with having a man she barely knows in her house so late at night.” Loki baited, ready to be amused at her reaction.

Instead she took another bite. “Yeah, if she wasn’t a fire wielding badass. And I’ve dragged your helpless body to safety, so the fear factor is gone.”

He smirked, not let down. “Just injured, not helpless.”

“That’s debatable.”

“Is it now?” She didn’t respond and they fell into a comfortable lapse of silence as the documentary continued. Hours slipped by, like sand in an hourglass. Eventually, Loki noticed the dawn that poured into room. His head turned to Roxie, whose head was resting on her knees, buried up to her nose in the sleeve of her arm. Her eyes betrayed her; anyone could see the tears she was holding back as she blankly stared at the glowing TV.

“We’ve stayed up all night.” Roxie jumped, blinking as she was pulled away from her gloomy thoughts.

She quickly wiped her face, gaining her composure. “I guess we did.”

There was a pause. “I’m starving. Would you like breakfast?”

Roxie thought for a moment. “Let me grab my jacket.” In less than ten minutes, they were sitting in a waffle house, having just placed their order. Sunglasses restored, she met Loki’s gaze without fear, leaning on her elbow. “Why are you doing this?”

“What?” he said innocently.

“Taking comforting duty.”

He chuckled. “I myself do not know. Perhaps I was bored.”

Roxie huffed, smiling herself. “I wouldn’t put it past you.” That settled it. She could no longer deny the fact that she liked him a little. Just a little. But it would never work. He was too dangerous and a god. Besides, she didn’t know him well enough and she had already sworn off any hope of any type of real relationship with anyone other than her family. Her track record of boyfriends and people she had considered to be friends didn’t make for a promising future. But this would be enough.

Loki smirked, coming to a decision. He liked this mortal, and one way or another he would win her heart.


	17. The Problem with One Way Teleportation

As the month of September rolled by, Roxie found herself in Bruce’s lab, whom was collaborating with Jane on a project to create a working portal that could access other planets, namely what they considered to be the nine realms. Tony had the engineering covered, and Loki was of course offering input left and right. Roxie couldn’t understand any of the mechanics involved, which frankly made her feel stupid, but she was at least glad that Darcy had taken over data duty.

Since she really had nothing better to do than doodle, she sat atop a tall stool and sketched the strange machine Tony was constantly doting on. It was a mess wires and steel. It’s most notable was a mechanical arm, much like Dummy’s, with what resembled a large drill bit at the tip. The arm loosely swung this way and that, to be easily aimed at a target. Lasers and pipes stuck out from the moveable base, pointing to the tip. It was a rather odd creation; not exactly an ascetically pleasing piece.

Loki roamed around the vast room, suspiciously winding up next to Roxie. She gave him a wirily grin, a bit happy that he had somehow appeared next to her but she left that to pure coincidence. Loki briefly gazed to her uncovered neck, which he thankfully found healed, and to her tattoo, which made him smile to himself, like he had discovered this great secret about her.

“Where are you teleporting it to?” She said, referring to the weight they were going to send. Absent mindfully, she reached up and fiddled with the long necklace that rested on her chest; over her flowing purple blouse. She wore a brown leather jacket atop her attire which complimented the assemble nicely.

“Vanaheim. Asgard is too far away for our purposes.” Roxie nodded. It seemed everyone was here (accept the assassins); even Thor and Steve had come up to see. She understood why even though Asgard had a working teleporting system, they also needed a system of their own. Asgard’s was on the fritz and could only do one teleport a day.

Bruce passed around safety goggles, which Roxie awkwardly fitted over her sunglasses, which made Loki chuckle. She resisted the urge to glare since it would only make it worse. Jane hovered over the controls, broadly smiling. Tony positioned it to aim at the cylinder in the corner before stepping over the safely line, which Roxie frankly found ridiculous. Loki remained standing at her side.

“Okay.” Said Jane. “Everybody ready? Goggles in place? Yes? Alright, turning on the power.” She pressed a button. “History in the making!” Roxie grinned at her eagerness. “Ten seconds.” Suddenly, the machine began to shake violently.

“It’s not supposed to do that!” Yelled Tony, stepping over and glancing at the screen. “There’s too much power.” It tremored, the motion making it spin several times. “Hit the kill switch!”

A wave of panic overcame Roxie and she moved to jump out of her chair. Foot on the ground, she looked straight at it, the tip coming to a halt and pointing at her. Strong arms grabbed her and yanked her just as it shot out a white blast of light. She leaned in to throw her and who she knew was Loki to the ground but as luck would have it, she was too late.

 

The pair landed with an ‘oof’, next to each other. Roxie immediately scrambled up, turning this way and that to gauge their surroundings. She ripped off the eyewear and made a complete rotation. Fingers running through her wavy locks, she stumbled back and looked down at Loki, stunned. Loki was sitting up on his elbows, calmly taking the area in. His wary expression became humored when he saw her so disorientated.

“Wha…” As if on instinct, she detangled her sunglasses and put them on, bending down to help him up in a huff. His brow deepened when he truly saw how freaked she was. “Where the hell are we?” She still gripped his arm tightly. He took her other hand in his, putting hers together and holding them there, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“We are in a forest in Vanaheim.” He soothed. “Everything’s fine Roxie. We can get back. Just calm down for me.”

Roxie bit her lip and nodded, glancing around at the clearing they were in. It wasn’t so different from earth. “Yo.. You’re right. I just… I’m just panicking right now. I just…” She moved to be released, wanting space but he pulled her closer. She tried to ignore the flutter in her chest as Loki tried to regain his composure.

“Promise you won’t have a panic attack?” he said seriously.

Through her sunglasses, he could detect an eye roll. “Oh god no, I can’t make such a promise. Catch me if I swoon.” With that, she freed herself and ran her fingers through her hair again. Loki grinned softly to himself. That was the Roxie he knew.

He looked to the sky. “Heimdall.” He called. “If you wouldn’t mind, we would appreciate a kind gesture on your part.” Nothing. “If you are not so keen to help me, perhaps it would be of interest of you to know that a friend of Thor’s is in need of assistance.” Still nothing. He let out a little growl, surprising and even amusing Roxie with such a feral noise. His said, annoyed, “It appears that he either is not inclined to help us, or the gate has been used today.”

“Well, I’m taking a wild guess and say it’s too far for you to teleport us.” Loki nodded. “Damn. No, no, it’s okay. We’ll just wait it out. This Heimdall’s probably a really nice guy, hopefully, it’s just our luck that it’s been used today. We can just wait.”

There was a pause. “Do you like camping?” Loki inquired, lips upturning in a smirk.

Roxie snorted, the joke disarming her fear. “God no, but we don’t have to worry about starting a fire, now do we?” He looked down and broadly smiled, making her do the same. _Stop being so cute_ she inwardly cursed. She took a breath in, turning back to Loki. She stilled at the sight of him becoming ridged, ears seeming to peak up. He shot her a look.

Silently, she moved closer, taking a harder look at forest. Whichever direction she turned, figures which were not human surrounded them. They had tusks, helmets, almost rock like skin. They wore armor, leather and steel and seemed to carry every item they owned on belts, sashes, and on their backs. More importantly, they carried spears, shields, maces, swords, all weapons up and ready for use.

Back to back, Loki and her took a stance and readied themselves. “Marauders.” Loki whispered. “Thieves, pillagers. Seems they’ve been inching for a fight for ages by the look of it, whether we have anything of value or not.”

“We’ve been through worse.” Replied Roxie, a little confident. She had been through a lot since joining the Avengers, and considered herself a pretty capable person now.

One with a gaunt face laughed. “I think not woman.” His voice was rough. “Don’t doubt us, especially when you are such a tiny thing.” He added more words that she couldn’t understand.

“He just cussed me out didn’t he?”

Loki hesitated. “Don’t do something brash.”

“That was a yes.”

Loki closed his eyes. “Damn.”

She flipped up a finger. “Is this universal? Suck. It.”

The thing came at her with a yell, sword swinging. Roxie sidestepped, kicking a fiery leg straight into his chest. Hand clamped on a fist, she brought an elbow down on his head as he fell forward. A knife flew from Loki to the neck of one swinging a mace. He produced another, tossing it to the nearest one and deflecting a flying spear with an energy shield.

Roxie threw a fireball, sent a line of fire to the right. A blade cut the air next to her; she ducked and punched him in the face with a hot hand. As they marauders fell back and regrouped, they met back to back again.

“You know, I may have been able to talk us out of this.” He said mildly.

“Yeah right.” In her hands, she formed a glowing orb. She threw it at one and missed, just as he threw his spear. She feigned left, hitting the ground and rolling on her arm. On her knees, she tossed another fireball and it hit. Another ran at her; she shot a ribbon of flame in his direction and regained her balance.

Underhanded, Loki stabbed a man in the stomach and whipped around to dodge and stab a tusked one in the neck. Then he backhanded another, kicking one in the chest. “Roxie, to me!” he ordered. She jumped back and they met shoulder to shoulder. Again, they were surrounded.

“What’s the plan?”

“Run.”

“Run?”

“Yes. I don’t like these odds, when there are better options.” He whispered low into her ear, so only she could hear. “Teleporting takes more energy than I am willing to spare. Create a ring of fire around us, not so much as to not burn me, and I will create an opening. Got it?”

“Yep.” Trusting in his plan, she extended her arms and let thick rope of fire pool along her feet, letting them reach around to form a smallish circle which she slowly pulled up and pushed back. Loki took a tentative step away from the fire, feeling the heat. “It won’t burn you, I promise.” Their enemies reeled back, but pressed in tighter, seeming to get ready for a major attack at the same time. They chanted some kind of war call. The rock like creatures took the headway, and judging by the damage she had done, guessed that they were somewhat fire resistant.

She turned so that she was behind Loki, facing where he was. Roxie leaned so close she could detect his slight heat even amongst the fire, a unique signature. A large number stood in their way, wary of what they were going to do. “Whenever you’re ready.” Loki drew his arms back and _slung_ a bolt of green in front of him, marauders were tossed to the side like ants. The fire blew out to every inch of the clearing, pushing back the attackers. Not stopping to see the carnage, they ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh sorry for the delay. Between the holidays, a nasty cold, and finals week, I've been swamped. Hope you enjoy and happy holidays!


	18. Old Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the major delay, but I have had a ridiculous amount of technical issues. You might not see an update from me for a while, but here's a little tidbit that I managed to scrape up. Hopefully I'll get it all sorted out soonish and will get back to regular updates ASAP.

Roxie leapt over a root, grabbed a trunk for leverage and swung herself around it. She turned around to see Loki, easily trailing her though she was going at breakneck speed. "Don’t stop." He ordered. She twisted her head back around and picked up the pace. Feeling her feet collide with the ground, in step with Loki, Roxie concentrated on the steady intake of her breath and how her lungs seemed to take in less oxygen with every gasp.

Crossing a ditch, she searched for the presence of him again. Not feeling anything, she looked out of the corner of eye. Obstructed by her sunglasses she couldn’t see anybody so she took the chance to whip around and in doing so, crashed into someone. Someone with armor. Falling with a breathless cry, she quickly scrambled away. A handsome man with blonde hair and polished grey armor was sitting up, looking slightly bewildered at her.

"Are in a hurry?" he asked, getting up and offering a hand to her as she ungracefully heaved in gasps of air.

"Yeah. A little. Sorry, not from around here. Look, there are marauders after my friend and I, and I’ve kind of lost him so I have to back and get him." She took in another swallow of air and accepted his hand, shakily standing. "Thanks, sorry." As she turned, he did not release her hand.

"I cannot let a maiden such as yourself go off on such a dangerous task. I will accompany you." This offer from a total stranger made Roxie inwardly cringe.

"Ah, no, no, it’s fine…" As she was about to say some lame excuse a marauder came crashing from the bushes. The man quickly pulled a sword from its sheath and positioned himself between the attacker and Roxie.

"My fellow, I would have to ask you to stay your hand." He countered the metal that swung at him. "No? Very well then." He and the creature went blow for blow as Roxie stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. She spotted another and on instinct, threw a fireball at him and easily taking him down. The resounding blast called the attention to the pair that was fighting, the man taking the opportunity to dispatch of his opponent.

"Might I ask how you did that?"

"Uh, it’s complicated. Look, it’s a very generous offer and hey, if you’re willing to help me, go for it. But I really have to go." Turning heel, she ran back.

She could feel him behind her. "Are you a sorcerer?"

"I don’t think so? I’ll explain later." In the distance, she heard the sound of a fight and leapt around a log to find Loki reaching behind a tree to throw a knife and duck behind. Throwing herself against one, she flung a blade of fire. The man took position across from her, curiously peaking around at Loki.

"Why hello there Loki. I thought you were on Midgard."

Loki scowled. "Oh damn. Where did you dig him up?"

Roxie huffed. "Loki." He looked to her. "Shut up." His frown deepened. "He’s nice enough to help and didn’t just ditch me to become the hero."

Loki rolled his eyes, as he easily reached over and stabbed one that rounded the tree. "Please. I can assure you that he will be of little help."

The man opened his mouth, but Roxie beat him to it. "I could say the same about you." Loki sneered but said nothing. The man laughed, just as one with a mace came at him, which he swiftly took down.

"I have never seen him silenced so easily! Surely, you are a force to be reckoned with. I am Fandral. Might I ask your name?"

Distracted, Roxie watched Loki clash with another, sending a trail of fire to offset his opponent. "Roxie."

More came, and all three found themselves engaged in close combat.

 


	19. Tricks

“Ah! My friends!” Roxie looked over from the her position next to Loki to see three people walking towards them, weapons raised and already clashing with their opponents. One was a woman, a man, and an even bigger man. Distracted, she took a punch to the stomach before quickly launching a fire wave. As she stepped back Loki sliced his arm.

“Loki?” Cried the larger man.

The woman looked at him suspiciously. “What is he doing here?”

“I can’t quite tell yet.” Fandral replied simply.

“And who is she?” Asked the other man, kicking down an opponent. “A sorcerer?”

“No.” She answered, whipping fire at the feet of one when he came too close to the larger man who looked at her a little bit gratefully. “I don’t quite know myself. I’m Roxie, an Avenger if that means anything to you. Thor’s a friend of mine, if you know him.”

“Know him?” Said the giant, axing down two at once. “We are close friends of his!”

The Marauders seemed to be retreating now. Loki glared into the forest, sending a sharp dagger in the direction of a leaf that moved. “I think that’s the last one.” He turned to face the half circle now surrounding him and Roxie who felted a little perturbed herself. “I would say good to see you, although even I couldn’t pull that lie off.”

Roxie glared at him, swatting his arm. He shot her a look of insult. “Okay, I’m kind of in the dark of whatever history you guys have here, but basically there was a lab accident in trying to recreate a portal and we wound up here.”

“Loki.” The quieter man said in a warning tone.

He rolled his eyes in response. “I am not to blame for _everything_ you know. I would have come up with a better plan of escape.”

“How can we trust you?” The woman said, not just to Loki but to her too. There was a certain vibe to her voice, as if she was saying that you can’t trust someone who hides their face.

“You can’t.” She swatted him again and he shot her a look. “It’s true. All they have is our word, and they already know me.”

The stoic one spoke again. “If you would like to take back your claim about not being a master of magic, you should do so now.”

She sighed, exasperated. “Look, I’m a mutant. I was born with fire powers and I don’t quite know why. My parents are mutants too, but they don’t have the same kind of powers as me which is genetically impossible in and of itself. And,” She looked purposely at Sif. “I know these glasses make me look untrustworthy, but I inherited these creepy eyes from my dad’s side and would I prefer not to scare anyone. Now, would you please help us?”

There was a moment of silence which irritated her further, but she forced away the heat rising in her. “Sounds good to me.” Announced Fandral. He pointed to each of the people in turn. “That’s Lady Sif, Volstagg, and Hogun.”

Hogun nodded. “I apologize, but we had to be sure of you, especially since you are affiliated with him.”

“As am I.” Said Sif, relaxing.

“Me too!” said Volstagg.

Hogun continued. “My village is nearby and we would be more than willing to accommodate you until the bifrost is working again. Loki too, under the respect of our friend Thor.”

“Thank you very much.” She responded, relieved. “I don’t know what we would do otherwise.

Following the warriors through the forest, Loki suddenly turned to Roxie. “It’s amazing what a mental breakdown can achieve isn’t it?” Roxie punched his arm, earning her a smirk.

 

Roxie watched as the two boys tried to start a fire. They had arrived an hour ago and had been easily accepted as guests to her relief. Communication was awkward since it seemed as though she was the only one who spoke exclusively English, but Loki and her new acquaintances were more than willing to translate. Sitting between them on her left and Loki on her right as Volstagg told the story of the strangers to a group of children, the boys just happened to catch her eye.

They were doing it right; the flint they were using did spark, but the wood was just a bit too damp to catch properly. A common mistake. Focusing on it, she concentrated. Reaching out, she forced herself to relax. Detecting a connection with her kindred, she carefully urged her will on it, persuading it with the promise of becoming something more. Exhaling a little, she breathed in slowly. This was enough to get it smoking.

Surprised, the boys knelt down and blew on it. Smiling to herself, Roxie felt for the center, leading the tendrils of heat at the center outwards. The fire caught; a tiny flame was formed. The boys, proud of themselves, fanned it until grew out into a steady flame.

“Impressive.” She glanced over at Loki. Of course he noticed. And she thought she was being sneaky.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She crossed her arms behind her head and laid back on the blanket, watching the sky dim as a large pot was hung over the fire. Her fire.

“How did you do that?” Asked Fandral, taking notice.

  1. “I just… told it to really. I can’t really control fire that’s not mine, but it was just a small spark so it was easy.”



“I personally suspect that it’s like magic.” Added Loki. “Beyond you.” Fandral frowned at his insolent tone. He had been like that ever since coming here and it was getting on her nerves. She suspected that the only reason they put up with it was because of Thor.

Something tapped her thigh. Roxie sat up on her elbows to see a little girl sitting next to her, talking rapidly. Quirking an eyebrow, she looked up for translation.

“She wants you to…” Loki explained. “Bring fire as she describes it.”

Sitting up, she shyly pressed her glasses closer. “Sure.” Holding out her palm, she let out a steady flame. The child gawked, leaning in. Other children surrounding Volstagg left in in favor of her, only making her feel slightly guilty but he didn’t seem to mind. Twitching her fingers, she formed a tiny spinning twister. The children made noised of amazement.

Ecstatic at the attention, she let the funnel tip sink into a crack of her fingertips and disappear. Flipping her palm over, a tiny snake appeared and wrapped itself around her palm. Quick as a whip it slithered loops around her arm until it reached her neck and perched there. It only stayed for a second, enough to keep her audience enthralled. Speeding off again, it darted all around her body.

The snake seemed to gain momentum and with it, mass as it expanded. Eventually it looped itself around her neck and settled. It was now the size of a rather large snake. It’s tail wrapped around her upper right arm as her free hand carefully held the head. The captivated audience was it awe as its tiny tongue tasted the air. Waiting a beat, she brought it around as if to look it in the eye.

The seemingly passive snake gazed upon its creator with what appeared to be revering admiration. After a few moments, she drew it from her face. It lunged at her, long fangs extending. Her audience gasped, and she was proud to say that even Loki flinched. A little. It disappeared at the wave of her hand just as it scraped her nose.

The children applauded and even a few members of the tribe joined in. Volstagg was beside himself.

“Across the nine realms, I have never seen such talent! Surely, you are a true marvel!”

“Thank you!” She looked down nervously, rubbing the sweat that glistened her brow. “I think that’s my last trick. I’m exhausted!” She laughed. As her words were translated, Loki sat further back and watched, content with this sudden boldness from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! It took forever to crank this one out!


	20. Going Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a little fluff, a little transition, and a little skin. Promise we'll get into the juicy bits next chapter.

After sun down, the festivities commenced. A great meal of meats of animals Roxie had never heard of was consumed, and stories were shared. There was dancing too, which she actively avoided. Curiously, Loki went off on his own as soon as Fandral began flirting with her. Shrugging him off, she spotted Loki lying against the upraised perimeter that surrounded the camp. Making her way over, she sat down next to him.

“Enjoying yourself?” She was surprised at the slight edge to his voice.

Roxie shrugged. “More than I thought I would. It’s sure better than camping in the woods.” She paused. “Hey. Are you alright?”

“Why do you ask?” She gave him a look and he sighed. “Of course I am.”

She rolled her eyes and flopped down next to him, watching the night sky. “Just asking. You know, it’s weird. Having a different sky, that it. There’s no big dipper.”

He made a noise of acknowledgement. “But you can’t see that constellation in New York City.”

“Light pollution regardless, it’s still crazy.” She pulled up her sunglasses to get a better look. Loki shot her a sly look but she ignored him. “Would it kill you to be nicer?”

“Metaphorically.”

“That’s the most Emo thing I’ve ever heard.” He ignored her this time. “Look, Loki. If there’s something bothering me, you can tell me, alright? You can tell me anything.” He averted his gaze. “I’m serious.” She stood up, brushing herself off. “I’m turning in, and you should to. Soon, at least. You look exhausted.”

Loki watched her go, his heart heavy. He couldn’t burden her with the memories swirling through his head.

 

Movement in the tent woke Roxie up. She tossed over to see Sif snapping her armor on. Slipping her glasses on, she yawned and straightened up.

“Sleep well?” asked Sif.

Roxie nodded. “Yeah, thanks. Again, thank you so much for your help.”

“Oh, no problem.”

Roxie crawled out from the blankets and began folding them. “Is Loki up yet?” Sif shook her head. “I better wake him then.” She caught Sif smiling. “What.”

“Oh, nothing.” Roxie gave her a look. “It’s just that you two would make a cute couple.” Roxie froze. “Don’t pretend you didn’t see him get jealous at Fandral’s attempts for you.”

Roxie stood up. “You must be mistaken.” She walked out towards the tent Loki was sharing with the Warriors three. Sif chuckled slightly. She hoped for her sake that the redness in her cheeks would disappear before she saw Loki.

 

A gentle hand tapped his shoulder. Loki mumbled and buried his head deeper into his pillow. He was shaken softly this time and he finally turned over to face the poor soul who dared to wake him from his slumber. He blinked and his scowl disappeared. Roxie kneeling next to him, her fingertips still on his arm. He almost thought it was a dream.

“Time to get up. They said the portal should be up by now, and we can leave after breakfast.”

He was pulled from his bewilderment. “Of course.” He said smoothly, rising. If he didn’t know Roxie and how to judge her reaction behind her sunglasses, he would have missed how her eyes quickly fluttered downwards and suddenly to the side. “Problem?”

She pulled out a pillow from underneath him and hit him, hard. “Put a shirt on!” With that, she turned and stumbled somewhat awkwardly out of the tent.

“Oh, just the shirt?” He called out, smirking.

 

Roxie took a half step closer to Loki, who of course noticed and took the chance to reassure her by leaning in more. She shot him a nervous look as Sif and the Warriors Three looked on. Her first experience teleporting wasn’t a very good one after all.

“We’ll tell Thor hi for you!” She waved.

“She will.” Loki corrected, earning him a small jab in the stomach. Saying their last goodbyes, Loki looked up and beckoned Heimdall. In a few seconds, they were engulfed in a blue shining light. Forcing down the heat rising in her, she shamelessly grabbed Loki’s arm.

“Don’t think too much about his.” She responded to his surprised look. He hid his smile and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry. I can assure your safety.”

She nodded, forcing a grin. The next thing she was aware of was the wind on her back and his soft chuckle. Stepping back, she almost stumbled. Scanning around, she figured out that they were on top of Stark’s building. Loki casually glanced around, taking in the scenery.

“Shall we?” Loki held the door open and gestured inside.

“Oh thank god we’re home.” Roxie practically ran down the stairs, Loki following with a grin on his face. That had been a fun vacation. Well, all the parts with Roxie in it.


	21. Requited

Loki sat across from Natasha in living room, peacefully reading his book. Both knew that she had been staring at him purposely for several minutes now. He would have said something sooner, but he wanted to see how long she would wait. Eventually though, he tired of this little game and glanced up.

“So. You and Roxie.” He didn’t say anything, making her smirk. “I see.” He flipped a page. “So when are you going to ask her out?”

Loki cringed, setting down his book in exasperation. “I would prefer that you didn’t jump to conclusions. She and I are only friends, unless you are referring to the kind of friendship you and Barton share.”

This didn’t seem to faze her. “I think a little female companionship would be good for you. And you two do seem to get along very well.”

“She is simply less annoying than the rest of you.” He said, rolling his eyes. “Roxie is simply better company.”

The assassin leaned back. “I was going to the gym yesterday but I stopped because I saw you two were sparing. You never practice with us, and she wasn’t wearing her sunglasses for once. You know she _never_ does that. She’s comfortable around you.”

Loki sighed. “Why do you insist on playing matchmaker? It was my understanding that you disliked me, and I can’t imagine you being cruel to Roxie.”

Natasha shrugged. “Maybe I like the way she has you wrapped around her little finger, and she doesn’t even know it.”

His face contorted. “What do you mean by that?” She smirked. “Romanoff…”

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t agree to watch Miss Congeniality because she suggested it last night.”

“Maybe it is Sandra Bullock I have an infatuation with.”

“I doubt that. Come on, I think it would be good for you both. Why not?”

Loki shut his eyes tightly in meditation. “Many reasons. It would be… complicated”

“Oh,” Nat retorted coyly. “Is it her?”

“No.” he was quick to correct. He suddenly felt compelled to defend her. “It is true, she is a lovely, beautiful woman who seems very unaware of that, especially of the beauty of her eyes. She is smart, witty, clever…” _Breathtaking, taking away all of my breath as real fire would steal the air from the room_. “As well as talented. Roxie is wonderful. I admit that I have toyed with the idea, but I believe that she would not have me. I…” he almost choked out the words. “Think that she deserves better.”

When he opened his eyes, he had expected Natasha to stare at him in surprise, not a bright grin. His stomach dropped and his eyes grew wide. Whipping around, his head begun to spun. Roxie stood there, shell shocked as him. She covered her mouth with her hand. Seconds seemed to drag out before either of them spoke. Natasha stayed silent, content with watching the fireworks. “Loki…” All water seemed to evaporate from her mouth. “I’ve… I’ve had a lot of boyfriends. Just casual relationships, maybe some a little bit more serious but none of them have ever said something so nice about me or… so thoughtful without completely BS-ing me. Ev…. Ever. Thank you. None of them… they’ve never said that they…” her voice grew smaller. “Don’t deserve me.”

His mouth opened and shut a few times before he found something to say. “If they kept it casual, they certainly didn’t.” To his surprise, she buried her face in her hands. Through the breaks in her fingers, he could detect a hint of red. She was as embarrassed as him. A soft pleased smiled appeared on his mouth. Had she been nursing crush on him?

Roxie had to slow her breathing, trying to take control of her body again as the heat rose. Her feelings for him had suddenly and without reasoning, flared up like a flame, unquenchable and only growing. She had specifically sworn off any real relationship, especially to him. She was a mortal, a mutant but a mortal regardless, and he was a demigod. The literal god of mischief who practically reeked of danger; she had seen what he could do. Besides, ‘dangerous’ guys had always ended in drama and/or heartbreak for her. Why would he be any different? _Because he’s not them, he’s Loki,_ her feelings screamed. _You know him, he is different._

“Roxie.” Loki interjected. “I wouldn’t mind discovering if we are compatible or not, and I suspect that you wouldn’t either.” He had regained his slyness.

Roxie sucked in a breath, brushing back her flowing hair. “Is this your way of asking me out?”

“Yes.”

“There’s a bistro down the street. I can be ready now.”

 

Loki sipped his tea, watching the crowd pass. Roxie was content to do the same. Unknown to her however, was the fact that in his peripheral vision he was enjoying watching her roaming, uncovered irises.

“We should get matching tattoos.” she said finally.

Loki smirked. “I would prefer not to. I am not as quick as you are to being inked up.”

“It’d be cute.”

“Is that how you were talked into yours?”

“Maybe.” Roxie tilted her head in thought. “How about a compromise then?”

“I wasn’t aware we were making an agreement!” He looked at her critically, making her the corner of her lips quirk. “What do I get out of this?”

“A happy girlfriend.” Loki made a big show of considering this; he looked every which way, all the while sighing and rocking back and forth.

“I suppose that is adequate.”

She ignored that statement. “How about we don’t get matching tattoos, and instead we get a better first date location?”

“Oh.” His voice went low and dark. “Is this a date then?” She rolled her eyes, making him chuckle. “Fine then. But I decide.”

“That worries me.” She leaned in, grinning. Loki simply sipped his tea.

 

Roxie paced around the room, nervous. She had promised herself that for once, she wouldn’t wear her sunglasses. The restaurant had been a different story since she had only been talking to Loki and had been facing away from any other customers; to avoid eye contact. She checked her watch. Three in the afternoon. Loki had promised an early date and dinner after, so she had left the Avengers tower early to get ready.

She was wearing a casual grey dress with a black belt and flats. Her favorite grey fedora completed the look. Since Loki refused to give any details, she had been debating for quite a while before settling on these clothes. Flopping down on the couch, she pulled out her phone to call him. Just as she was about to call, a simmering green light appeared in the center of the room.

It shimmered away and left Loki standing there in its wake. He wore a handsome grey sweater over a blue shirt. He sucked in a breath when he saw her. “You look stunning.”

She smiled. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” She stood, liking how they somehow managed to coordinate.

“My lady?” He bowed, slightly mockingly, and held out his arm.

“Thank you sir.” She played along, accepting it. The green light enveloped them, whisking them away. Unable to keep them open, she shut her eyes. When she finally looked up, she blinked. They were in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the art museum she had been dying to see ever since she moved to New York. Her smile brightened, and she seemed to glow.

“You know me too well.”

Loki shrugged, happy that she was happy. “I’ve been wanting to go here myself. Art can teach a lot about that culture or period.” Arm in arm, the walked up the steps. Through the mass of people, they wandered aimlessly, admiring works and enjoying stories from each other.

“Tell me a funny story.” She asked randomly, in the Van Gogh exhibit.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, a magic mishap?”

Loki searched for an appropriate tale. “I was just an apprentice, and a very inexperience one at that. It was a simple Alchemist spell, water into wine. To make a long story short, my pronunciation was wrong. It was a water _summoning_ spell. I thought I was going to drown! We nearly lost the entire library, books millenniums old.”

She chuckled mildly. “So you almost destroyed millenniums’ worth of culture and knowledge?”

“Basically. But how about you?” She groaned, making his eyebrows lift in curiosity.

“I was almost expelled for arson.” A look of utter confusion and befuddlement crossed his features. Roxie sighed. “This kid set fire to a trash can in the cafeteria, so as everyone was evacuating I put it out. It was tipped over; it was going to spread easily. But since I was the last one out, they thought I did it. I was suspended for two days until the kid tried it again, and was caught. It was only then that they believed me, and the expulsion was revoked.”

His face scrunched. “That’s horrible.”

She shrugged. “Yeah.”

Continuing on through their evening, they landed at a tiny, very much overcrowded pizzeria to eat. They shared a pepperoni with half with mushrooms and half with hot banana peppers. Loki shot her a sly look.

“How can I _not_ like spicy food?” She defended. “I have no concept of pain from heat, this is as close as I can get.”

“Ah.” He observed, interested. “So you can taste the burn?”

Roxie thought this over. “Well, not exactly. It doesn’t quite burn. Believe me, I have plenty of experience in that respect.” She took another bite and spoke through bits of food. “What is Asgard like? Is it like Vanaheim?”

“Not at all.” He scoffed. “Asgard is nothing of the sort. It’s not even a planet really, more like a vast disk of land. Water flows down the side; the source is the center.”

She tilted her head. “Then where does the water come from?”

“Well, from the water that has fallen off the edge. Through a gravitational pull; honestly it’s very complicated physics that even the most brilliant minds of this world, such Jane Foster and Dr. Banner, do not fully understand yet.” She nodded, hoping that he wouldn’t attempt to explain. Physics were not her forte. “But I digress. The city was built atop this source, adding soil around it, though the outer edge of the city rests only on supports. The palace at the center is breathtaking, as the entire city is.”

Seeing the twinkle in his eye, she was once again reminded that he was very much a prince. And that she wasn’t supposed to know that. Yet. Roxie expected that he would tell her eventually, when the time was right.

“I think I would like to take you there.”

“That’s moving pretty fast.” Loki frowned and she winked. “I would love to.”

They both laughed shyly, loving this warmth that was rising between them. This heat that was making all logical thought pointless. Roxie liked his demeanor (the best word she could find for it) and aura, and he liked her, well, the way she was different. In the best way, of course.

Loki was about to retort when his phone suddenly buzzed. Scowling, he pulled it out. He took one look and swore. “Damn.”

Her brows knit in worry, slightly distracting Loki with her eyes. “Who is it?”

“Coulson.” He pressed ignore. “Now as I was saying…” The phone buzzed again, cutting him off. He glared venomously, tapping again. But, it rang again. Beside him, so did Roxie’s phone, but she actually answered hers.

“Damn it Tony! I’m on a _date._ ” Roxie hissed. The woman listened for a few seconds while Loki continued to ignore his phone on sheer principal. All the Avengers were aware that they were on a date, and he had left very _specific_ instructions, his main demand being that they not be bothered. “Okay, okay! We’ll be there! Give us a few minutes!” She set down her phone a little harder than needed. They shared an annoyed look of mutual understanding. “They want us back, he says it’s an emergency.”

Loki groaned. “And it was such a nice evening.”

Unfortunately, Loki would be finding out just how true those words were, very shortly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was physically painful to write, so I'm worried that this isn't my best work. Considering that I had friend zoned one of my closest guy friends then turned around and wrote a confession scene... Yeah. Physically painful.


	22. Bad Ideas

Ducking behind an alley way, Roxie with her sunglasses back on and Loki with to-go box in hand, he transported them to the Avenger’s tower. Directly in front of the conference room, to be exact. Stepping in, Loki surveyed the room. By the look of their faces, the tension was high. Coulson was standing at the other end. On his left were Steve, Thor, and Clint. On his right, Tony, Bruce, and Natasha. Roxie quickly took a seat beside her, Loki sitting next to her.

Coulson nodded in greeting. “Sorry to interrupt, but it was an emergency.” Their displeased faces told him that they didn’t accept his apology. “Roxie, this actually pertains mostly to you.”

She tensed, every bad scenario possible filling her head. They all included her family. “What. Happened?”

His eyes flicked down. “There was an information breach.” The assassins’ heads turned. “The mutant registry was hacked.” Roxie’s heart sank and she found that her mouth was too dry to speak. “Files on mostly high level mutants were copied. In..including you.”

“And…” She couldn’t help the waver in her voice. She didn’t even notice Loki placing a hand on her shoulder. “My family?”

Phil averted his eyes. “Included.”

“My mom’s side to? They’re all low levels, they weren’t included right? They’re only low levels.”

He sucked in breath, if only to delay. “No, you and your parent’s previous marriage linked the files. That information was stolen too.”

Roxie clenched her fists. Natasha reached over to cover them in comfort, but stopped when Loki quickly retracted. Instinctively, she scooted away when she noticed the smoke rising behind Roxie.

“Roxie.” Loki said lightly, unable to hide his worry. “The chair is melting.”

Glancing down as if it hadn’t occurred to her, she swore. “Damn.” Standing abruptly, she braced her arms against the table, leaning in. “Damn it! Do you have any idea how much danger my entire family is in?” She cut him off before he could reply. “Oh, let’s just compile an entire list and ranking system of every known mutant known to mankind. _That_ seems like a good idea. It’s not like we have to worry about anyone stealing it!”

She backed away, pacing nervously. “My _entire_ family. All the high levels on my dad’s side, oh _god_ my dad… You realize how bad this is, right? If it isn’t some wackjob who wants to kidnap, torture, kill, maim, or expose them, it’s a mutant with a vendetta. Do you have a _clue_ on how many guys my dad’s pissed off? Now they have the numbers; they know exactly how much it would take to _kill_ him.”

She trailed off for a second. No one dared to interrupt. “My mom. My mom’s side! All of them are low level, they are much more vulnerable! All they really got going for them is heat resistance. That’s pretty much it. Now someone has their stats. You realize the obscurity of not knowing other mutant’s stats are what keep the weaker ones safe? _Damn_ , my _family_! Of everything.”

Suddenly, Roxie turned on her heel and fixed Coulson with a cold stare. “What about us? Was any avenger information leaked?”

“No. Only yours.” He replied hesitantly as she took a step forward, arms crossed.

“Is that because I’m the only one here on the registry? I thought so. So Bruce, Steve, Thor, and Loki aren’t on there?” Those named furrowed their eyebrows. “Not an offense to any of you, I’d rather you stay off the registry. It _sucks_ , and is more similar to the Jewish registry than I would like. But the fact is that they qualify, and you know all of them are high level. Potentially dangerous. So you don’t want anyone knowing their stats, so you, I don’t know, throw that info into a really obvious file, because heaven forbid your completely secure network is hacked. _That’s not smart.”_

She spoke through clenched teeth now. “Then why am I in there? I’m obviously in their stat range since I’m here. Why are they prioritized?”

“They’re not.” Coulson said shortly, but calmly. “That was more sensitive info, so it was kept separate. When you were put on the registry, we didn’t know the extent of your powers. But once we knew how high a level you were, we couldn’t do anything to keep you off the registry. Those are the rules. You stay on for life. Our intentions…”

“Intentions pave the road to hell.” She interrupted. “You take kids from the moment they’re born to see how their genetic code bastardizes Mother Nature. Don’t tell me otherwise.”

The silence that filled the room was deafening, and Coulson couldn’t fill it fast enough. “Roxie, I’m sorry. If I could, I would get rid of it, but I can’t. I don’t condone what they do; I think it’s wrong too. But right now, we can’t do anything about that. The best we can do is cleanup the aftermath, and prove just how bad of an idea the registry was.”

Roxie stood there, taking in a slow breath to calm herself. Loki stood, delicately taking her trembling hand, and guided her over to a chair that wasn’t warped. Sitting next to her, he didn’t let go.

“You may continue.” Loki said for her.

Gathering his thoughts, he did just that. “We haven’t managed to pinpoint the culprits, but we have traced were the information was leaked. To… mutants connected to the underground.” Roxie face palmed. “We believe it’s to an underground fight club.”

Steve thought for a second. “So they’re using them to fix bets?” Loki swore he could hear Roxie’s internal groaning.

“That would make sense.” Agreed Natasha.

“How about recruiting?” Added Tony. “I’d imagine you’d need to cycle through a lot. I mean, with the amount of injuries. If it’s a mutant fight club, there has to be a lot.”

“Maybe.” He flicked a button and an image appeared. “This is Jason ‘Joint’ Willis, a mutant, who we have good reason to suspect is running this club in California. Roxie, he went to your high school and I was wondering if you…” Everyone stared at her; her head was planted on the desk. “Um…”

“Ex-boyfriend.” She muttered.

Loki, who was propped up on his elbow glanced over his shoulder. “Any more skeletons you would like to dig up?” Tony unsuccessfully tried to hold back a snicker, earning him a glare from everyone else in the room.

“One month.” She elaborated. “Then I found out he was insane. Like, certifiably. I should have known; he _was_ an altered.” She muttered the last part, nor bothering to explain the terminology.

Tony spun towards Coulson almost gleefully. “Joint huh? What’s his power?”

Coulson narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “He can bend every joint in his body completely backwards.”

The billionaire whistled suggestively, glancing back over to Roxie. Out of the chorus of scoldings, Loki’s was the loudest and harshest. “If you value your life, stop talking.”

“So,” Bruce said quickly to change subjects. “Why wasn’t the club shut down in the first place? I’m pretty sure fight clubs are illegal, if not fictitious.”

“They are.” Hawkeye clarified, speaking up for the first time. “But taking down a mutant one highly risky. There are too many factors unaccounted for.”

“Then you just let them exist?” Thor frowned.

“Let is a strong word. But, yeah.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Loki recognized Roxie’s ‘thinking’ face. “What is it?” He whispered, as the others discussed. He could tell that she wasn’t dwelling on the implications of the leak.

“Well,” She looked away. “Say anything you want about him, but I know he doesn’t cheat on bets. It’s the one principal he sticks to. He’ll never take a fixed bet, or allow it. Never. He’s insane- he says it takes the ‘fun’ out of it. Unlike you.” Her mood picked up. “He likes to be unsure of the outcome.”

Loki smirked appreciatively. “He must not know where the fun really is.” He turned to face the room, speaking over everyone. “There is a good chance that the man is not behind the hack. I’ve been assured that his principals won’t allow for any sort of fixed bet. And it makes sense; if he is running the club his reputation will be ruined. No one will take a bet if they believe the outcome is already predetermined.”

Everyone considered this. “How can we use that to our advantage?” Mused Steve absently.

Loki smirked mischievously. “I have a plan.”

“Already?” Commented Thor. “That’s a record, even for you.” He should know.

The trickster rolled his eyes in response. “Please. You know not of _all_ of my schemes. Now, listen.” And they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the next chapter I'm planning, I'll probably have to miss next week's update, but I promise some action!


	23. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically how all confrontation in my life goes.

Roxie frowned deeper, shifting her weight again. Having a ‘talk’ with Jason was not her idea of a plan. She leaned onto Loki’s shoulder, who rested his chin on her head, covered with thick black hair save a single green streak. He was just as bored as she was. They had been standing in the line for ten minutes, and were slightly jet lagged.

Honestly, Loki didn’t like this course of action very much, but it had been the most reasonable. If you called confronting her ex in his place of business reasonable. They had flown in to Los Angeles and had gone directly downtown. After a little searching, they had finally found the little back entrance leading a nondescript and seemingly abandoned building. Entering, they had gotten in the very, very, long and very, very, twisty line. It was full of the usual club types. For the most part they looked normal, but some were a little different. It wasn’t unusual to see and extra eye, strange skin, or weird bone formation.

After a few more minutes behind the velvet rope, a man finally appeared from behind the curtain. He was large, muscular, and intimidating. Roxie hadn’t pinned down his abilities yet, but he guessed that is was just strength. That was a common mutant trait, though it varied. Sometimes it was hard to tell normal humans, ‘normal’ mutants, and regular mutants apart because there were so many variations. And there were a wide array of terminology to use. For example, by ‘normal’ mutants she meant those not genetically altered in a lab or otherwise.

Unless they had an extraordinary trait, they were never put on the registry and weren’t aware that such a thing existed. That was different from being a born in, which meant you were born from a regular mutant, a born in themselves or an altered. Born ins did not necessarily have powers but were generally not left off the registry. Altered referred to those genetically modified after birth. They were more looked down upon, especially if they had chosen it, since alters were normally the result of cruel and illegal modification. Which made it strange that Jason had become so successful; he was an altered and proud of it.

A lot of people were being turned away that night; Roxie knew there always were. Some people were just normal people, maybe aware, maybe not, and still others were mutants that weren’t ‘good’ enough. They were the mutants barely classified to be on the registry.

“How many?” Asked the man.

“Two.” Said Loki, nudging her along. They stepped into a small room with a curtain on either side.

Lazily, the man pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “You can go in.” He told Loki. “I can sense some activity from you.” _A psychic_ , thought Roxie. “You’re so strong you’ve been messing me up all night.” He nodded at her. “Your turn.” Knowing it wouldn’t be enough to simply take off her sunglasses, she concentrated on the lit cancer stick. In seconds, it was blazing. The man swore, dropping it and snuffing it out with his foot. “Screw you. Go on in.”

Both smirking, they ducked behind the second curtain. The thudding music pulsed, making Roxie’s heart rate pick up as they wove through the crowd. Loki scanned over the chatting, laughing, dancing bodies for their target. He took note of every pair of eyes that trailed them. Every once in a while, they would see two mutants duking it out over some dispute, or one showing off his or her abilities.

They passed by what Loki could only describe as a pit, presumably for fighting. A long stair case encircled the top, leading down a big room with no other exit. A large group of people could easily look down and cheer on. Roxie tapped his sleeve, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked over to see a man with a heavy amount of eyeliner and blue spiky hair chatting up it up with a group of women. He nodded, staying close behind as they walked up to him.

It took Joint a second to notice them, but when he did, he gaped. The women next to him glared at Roxie, before their faces fell. They whispered to each other.

“Roxie.” Joint said stiffly. “Haven’t seen you in a while. You’re a long way from the east coast.”

“I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I’d stop by to chat. Do you have a second?”

His eyes flicked to the man behind her then back. “It depends on who you’re affiliated with.”

Suddenly, Loki turned his attention to a redhead. “What do you mean by that?”

All eyes fell on her. “By-by what?” She stuttered.

“You called her the Phoenix. What do you mean by that?”

“It’s um…” she said lamely, gesturing at Roxie. “Her nickname. She was on the news a while back, and everyone started calling her the Phoenix, cause’ you know, the bird of fire. She was infamous overnight in the community. And I… I just sensed her powers, and she’s the only mutant with anything like that so… just lay off.”

He regarded this answer with a simple nod. _The bird of fire?_ He thought. _That’s an old legend, though the name is fitting_. He could tell that Roxie had rolled her eyes.

“How creative. Look Joint, we just need to talk to you. I think you’ll be interested, it involves your reputation.”

He shot her a suspicious look. “There was some speculation about the Phoenix being an Avenger. Is it true?”

Before she could answer, Loki whispered something in her ear, just loud enough for him to hear. “We can’t help him if he doesn’t want help. It’s probably best we go.” This confused her, but she caught on when Joint reacted.

“Hold up! Let’s not get hasty. Come on.” He said, getting up and pushing past. “Let’s talk elsewhere.” Loki shot her a sly look, making her grin to. Joint led them upstairs to the roof, where the night wind seemed to make a game of ruining her hair. “So what is it? I thought Shield was off my back. Don’t tell me that they’re planning to shut me down. They must know by now that their little raids never end well for them.”

Roxie inwardly cringed. Clint had been telling her about the rate of agent and mutant injuries and deaths from attempts to shut down these clubs. “That’s not the issue.”

“How are you?” He asked suddenly, if not aggressively. “Any new flames? Oh how are your parents? Divorced yet? What’s it like being an Avenger?” She clenched her fists tighter, feeling the heat rising in her, making her head swim.

Loki took a step forward, almost towering over the man. “Her new flame is right here. I would suggest that you cease bringing up the past, since we are here for your best interests.”

Joint frowned deeper. “Where’d you dig him up?”

“Not a trash heap, unlike some.” The mutant was in Loki’s face in an instant. Sighing, Roxie pulled Loki back.

“Listen, the only reason I’m here and not some faceless agent is because I could get your attention. And now that I have, I just wanted to tell you that there’s been a hack. A lot of registry info has been leaked, and we have good reason that it’s being used to fix bets, particularly here.”

Joint scowled, now stepping towards her. “Fixing bets? Here? How dare you-“

Loki sighed, bored with this half-witted creature. “It is not an accusation, it is a warning.”

The man actually growled, and began pacing. “I _knew_ that fight was rigged! There was just something in their smug faces, trying to pull a fast one on me! I’ll-” He muttered a string of threats. Loki looked over to Roxie as if to ask simply, why? She replied with a look that said, everyone makes mistakes. Telling that he was getting into one of his moods, Roxie interrupted.

“Joint.”

“What?” He snapped.

“Could you please do me the favor and send Shield the list of fixers? We’ll take care of it for you.”

“Oh no, I deal with my own business. They’ll get theirs in the ring!”

“Joint, do me this favor. It was this or a raid, and I talked them out of it.” Loki had to stop himself from smiling. He had never heard her lie so smoothly before. “Please?”

He huffed. “Alright. Fine. You guys better go now, before word gets around.” He shuffled past them glancing back in a half apology. “Understand that once you get past this door, I can’t help you much. It’s bad for my rep to be associated with anyone from Shield.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “We would expect nothing less.” Once he left, they waited a minute. Wary of how fast word traveled, Loki kept close to Roxie. The darkness and thumping music distorted everything, a haze settling over the scene and their senses. Weaving in and out, whispers began to spread throughout the room. They were indistinguishable at first, but they soon became quite clear. They were whispers about the Phoenix. Roxie forced down the lump in her throat. She hadn’t expected to become infamous.

As if a spell had been cast, and Loki knew the feeling, the room fell silent. People slowly trickled away from them, and gave them room as only the music drifted through the air. In just a few seconds a ring was formed around them. Roxie was suddenly struck with the realization of what a lynch mob was like. Loki grabbed her arm, intending to teleport them away. But for some strange reason, he couldn’t. Reaching out, he tried to find the interference.

The source, still there, tried to obscure itself but he quickly traced it. It was the redhead, standing off to the side and pouting, as seemed to be her normal state. Loki gave her a side-eye. “Release us.” His voice was barely audible. She shook her head, rubbing her arms nervously, but with a determined gleam in her stare. Loki shifted to get a better look at her, which was misinterpreted.

“There she is! The Phoenix!” She jabbed her finger accusingly. “That’s the Phoenix! They’re from Shield!”

The room exploded in shouts and the ring pressed closer. The couple got back to back, trusting each other. Things were thrown. They were torn on whether they should fight back; although Loki was much less reluctant. Only orders from Shield held him back. But Roxie found it hard. They were like her, and she understood them. She shuttered, a stark reality being revealed. She could have become like them.

Several men came up and shoved Loki who only glared at them coolly. Roxie was taunted as the mutants kept their distance; more wary. Agitation arose in her; the heat was rising. “Coward! Take off those sunglasses and look us in the eye!” This made her go over the edge. Slowly, she reached up and did so, taking her time in folding them up and tucking them in her shirt.

“Hey!” She shouted suddenly. “HEY!” The room was anything but quiet, but people had settled down to hear what she had to say. Roxie screamed. “Has anyone ever told you what happens when you play with fire?”

There was a split second before absolute chaos. In that time frame, Loki closed his eyes and breathed, “ _Damn._ ”

Fists sailed left and right, connecting with his body. A magic blast, though limited by whatever the psychics in the group were doing, sent them flying and gave him enough time to recover and regain use of his knives. He had to admit, as much as he disliked Roxie’s knack to… _escalate_ situations, he certainly enjoyed a good fight every once in a while although he would have preferred a more tactful approach. He _was_ the god of mischief after all.

Roxie held them off well enough, until she was tackled to the ground. Kicking him in the gut, she sent a wave of fire. After a few rounds, the man scrambled off as the mutants backed up; he was badly burned. Loki attempted to back up to help her, but was stopped by a blast that nearly struck him. He whipped around to see a hefty woman with electricity coursing around her.

In a second, he was grabbed by the throat and pinned to the floor, by someone with supersonic speed. Scraping him with a knife, he gripped his attackers arm right and threw him off. Roxie was up again, tossing a fireball at the woman, who easily dissipated it. She smiled coolly. _Challenge accepted_ , thought Roxie. Extending her arms outward, she shot ribbons of fire to surround her and Loki, creating a barrier. Telekinetics who tried to force it back were greeted by a whip of flame.

Another shot of energy leapt forward, stopped by a shield from Loki. In that instance, the fire sprung forth at her, catching her on fire. She screamed and tried to pat it out, faltering back. Roxie banished it before there would be any serious injury, but the threat was dealt with. Loki tossed a knife at the redhead, distracting her enough to lift the block. He seized Roxie’s arm and prepared to teleport them.

Seeing a man pushing through the crowd, Roxie lifted an arm to release a fireball. In that moment, a body crashed into her and the fire was diverted. Directly into Loki’s face. She gasped, trying to pull it back but it was too late and it connected. They hit the ground, Roxie landing on his chest. Squashed down, she tried to force her head up.

“Loki!” Her voice shook, as he groaned at the weight of several bodies piled on top of him. She gritted her teeth, furious. Channeling that energy, she centered it to her back and released it. Rivets of flame passed from her back to the poor soul on top of her. In a few moments, the dog pile was gone. Like snakes, the flames flickered vengefully. The mutants fell like dominos to avoid them.

Loki seized this opportunity, clutching her to his chest, and transporting them away. In a flash of green, they were on the roof of the hotel were Shield had set up shop; scarily similar to the base in Miss Congeniality. A few agents including Clint and Natasha were stationed there; the scanners would pick them and they would come running. Lifting herself up, Roxie braced her hands on his chest and scanned his face, terrified.

Loki frowned. “What?”

She choked, completely confused. “I…” She ran a hand carefully over his perfect cheek. “ _Burned_ you. How…” He was completely unhurt. “I definitely hit. I…”

He reached up, caressing her one green lock, as baffled as she was. “You did. But…” He was interrupted by a graceless mashing of her lips to his. The door to the roof busted open, the assassins running up. They stopped, staring at the couple as they made out. Clint and Natasha shared a look. Rolling his eyes, Loki reluctantly pulled away. “Would you give us a second? We are having a moment.”

Clint scowled, but Natasha dragged him back, leaving them alone. “Well then.” He looked up into her eyes, the exact shade of the mood above. Perfect.

“How?” She simply said, smoothing out his hair.

“Hmm.” Roxie enjoyed the rumble of his chest. “What else do you not burn? Your clothes are always intact.”

She thought for a moment. “That’s because they’re mine, and I tell the fire not to. It never burns my personal items, because they're connected to me.” She felt like that was the best way to explain it.

“Are you saying I’m a personal item?” He purred.

“Maybe…” She stroked his hair back, kissing him. “Definitely. It’s just that in that moment I realized that I really, really didn’t want to burn you.” Roxie admitted. “More than anything.” She paused for a moment. “That has never happened before. Loki I…”

“What, darling?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

After another make out session, Roxie finally pulled back for air. “We better go in. Don’t want them to worry.” Loki pouted, making her roll her eyes. After straightening themselves, Loki providing her with a new pair of sunglasses since her old pair had been lost. They went down to the room. Natasha stood up from where she was busily typing on the computer; Clint was perched on the table.

“What happened?” He asked.

Loki retold the events, absent mindfully resting his head on Roxie’s, holding her. Clint cringed at towards the end, but he still nodded along. Technically it was a success, and nobody was killed, probably. The fight seemed to be mostly unavoidable.

Noticing Natasha stealing glances at her neck, she shot her a questioning look before glancing down. “Loki. Did you give me a hickey?” She crossed her arms, incredulous. Loki averted his eyes, hiding his smirk. She grabbed him by the collar, dragging his grinning body out the door. “Give us two minutes.”

When they returned, Loki was flashing a toothy smile. A similar mark identical to hers was on his neck now. He was so happy Hawkeye thought he was going to barf. Even Natasha was exasperated. But Loki and Roxie just beamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus; a sappy romantic chapter to REMIND US ALL THAT WE'RE ALONE IN THIS WORLD. Feel free to leave me a little valentine's gift in the form of a kudos. ;)


	24. Old Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnddd a long chapter on time because I had an entire week off of school. Thank you, snowmageddon. We really appreciate the frozen pipes.

Roxie had never been really good at picking up on cues, but as of late, she had noticed that something seemed to be bothering Loki. She had tried asking her boyfriend directly, but he simply diverted the subject. It had been happening ever since the first wave of New York snow had hit. He had just been… different. It frustrated her to no ends until one day Loki finally suggested that they go out on a walk. Strange as it was freezing outside, near dark, and several inches of snow was on the ground, but Roxie didn’t question this sudden whim of his. He just seemed eager to leave the tower all of a sudden.

Strolling down central park, near one of the lakes, Roxie clung close to Loki, letting her heat seep into him so that they both would be warm. Not liking the cold, she personally wanted to turn it up a few degrees but she didn’t want to make it uncomfortable for him, or burn him. She didn’t care to test out if she really couldn’t burn him; the last time had been far too close.

She shivered suddenly, sighing. “You’re always so cold.”

He chuckled lightly, face tight. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk with you about.”

This confused her, but Roxie simply nodded her head. “I thought something was bothering you. Just know that whatever it is, I’ll accept it.”

“Okay.” He ran a finger through her green lock. “The first thing you should know is that in Midgard terms, I was adopted. Into the royal family of Asgard. Thor is my…. Adopted brother.”

She nodded. “Making you a prince.”

He looked at her knowingly. “You knew that already.” He groaned. “Of course you did.”

Roxie shrugged. “Part of it was your good looks.”

He half-smiled, continuing. “In Asgard, our mortal enemies are the Frost giants. They were monsters, and portrayed as such, deep rooted through tales parents tell their children. There was a war, so horrible that Odin the all father lost his eye. In the aftermath of a battle, in the throne room of Laufty their king, he found an infant behind the throne. A small weak one, the son of Laufty.”

“You.” She breathed, burying her head into his shoulder.

“Yes.” He looked down. “But even at that age I possessed a strong knack for magic, and shape shifted from the form of a frost giant to an Asguardian.” Loki recounted the tale from being accepted as one of the crown princes, to Thor being named king, to discovering the truth and the implications. Loki took a big breath and paused.

“Loki… I’m sorry. That’s really horrible.”

“That is only part of it.” He said bitterly, continuing. He told her about what he had tried to do to regain the crown that was never his. Then to a quick summery of his time with Thanos, he just grazed over the torture and partial mind control, up to the events of the battle of New York. The way Roxie stiffened was apparent. “It’s a lot to take in.” He said after a long minute.

“It… it is.” She stuffed a hand in her pocket, to stop it from trembling. “Ah, Loki? I need some time to think…”

Loki’s heart dropped, horrified. He turned to face her directly. “Darling-“

“Just…” She backed away, still in shock. “I’m sorry I just-” Roxie tore from his arms, speed walking away.

Loki stood there, frozen before he could will his legs to move. “Roxie, please!” He couldn’t be rejected again. “I was too vague-”

“Just let me think!” Roxie stepped off the path running along one of larger lakes, still walking backwards. Loki halted, again unable force himself forward. The gap of several yards between them suddenly seemed very, very, large. “It’s a lot to digest. I’m sor-” Her foot came down, breaking the ice of the lake. She crashed backwards into the icy water.

Now, Roxie would swim. She wasn’t going to make it to the winter Olympics any time soon, but she could make it to the other side of the pool eventually. But this water was _cold._ The suddenness of the impact made her falter, and her fire failed her; it was extinguished as soon she hit it. She also hated being a damsel in distress, she was a pyrokinetic for god’s sake, but she was helpless; the frigid water had consumed her. Things went hazy and black.

Loki didn’t hesitate, crossing the distance in a few short strides. Not seeing her come up, he leapt into the black water. It came up to just past his waist. Strangely deep for a city lake. He knelt down, arms searching. Finding an arm, he wrenched her upwards. With a steel grip, he pulled her to the shore. The second he saw her unresponsive and shivering, he immediately knew something was terribly wrong.

This wasn’t just a matter of drowning or hyperthermia, a normal person wouldn’t be affected the way she was. No, this was because she was a pyrokinetic. Carefully turning her over, she coughed, taking in steady breaths but still unconscious. Mind racing, he clutched her to his chest.

“Roxie!” he shook her gently. “Roxie!” She was freezing to the touch, as if her body was draining heat. “Roxie…” Lifting her into his arms, he stood up and a flash of green took them away.

 

“What the hell?”

Tony stood in shook, a greasy wrench still in hand as he stared at the sight of Loki carrying an unconscious but shivering Roxie; both of them dripping wet. His question was disregarded as Bruce pushed past him to get to her. The doctor quickly scanned her.

“What happened?”

“She fell into a frozen lake after-” He quickly shook his head. “It’s her physiology; she can’t handle that exposure.”

His gaze flickered down. “She’s stopped shivering.” His tone told Loki that that was bad. “Come on.” He lead the trickster down the hall, the infirmary was near Tony’s workshop for obvious reasons. “Put her down on the bed. We need to get those clothes off of her- she’ll freeze.” He did so. Bruce turned for one second to unhook an arm band from the heart monitor. In the next second she was dressed in a loose sweater and sweat pants. He didn’t question this, accrediting it to Loki’s magic.

Strapping it to her arm, he saw that her heart rate was slow, even for a hypothermia patient. “Pull out some blankets.” Ordered Bruce. “Tony, there’s an electric blanket somewhere.” Her sunglasses had disappeared so he didn’t have to remove them to check her level of consciousness. He was only partially surprised at the color; the contrast was stark and seemed to almost reflect light. He quickly checked to see if they fluttered or dilated. “Completely unconscious.”

He looked back to the monitor, as Loki and Tony quickly arranged the blankets, the electric one turned on and directly atop of her. He felt her head, biting his lower lip. “Somehow her temperature is still going down. We need to get her awake as soon as possible. She should at least shivering to generate some body heat. But…”

“What?” Loki couldn’t hide his nervousness.

“I don’t really want to try an adrenaline shot; it could be too hard on her system.” He shook his head, glancing at the monitor again. “But I’m going to have to.” He took a bottle and a needle, carefully extracting a small amount. “I’ll give her a little.”

Loki reached over to take her hand, clutching it as if his life depended on it. Bruce took her other arm, positioning the needle. Tony stood awkwardly to the side, suddenly struck with how young Roxie was compared to the rest of them. Bruce pressed the needle in. Roxie’s eyes briefly fluttered open and she jerked before sinking back down. She gasped; her body racked with tremors.

Loki ran a finger over her palm. “Stay awake Roxie. You need to open your eyes.” Her eyelids flicked half-heartedly before locking shut.

Bruce sighed, running a hand through his hair. “She’s at least shaking, so that’s good. It doesn’t look like she has any frostbite either. The best we can do is keep a close watch on her.” Loki nodded solemnly.

“Soooo,” Said Tony. “Do you want to give us the full story?”

Loki straightened, sitting in a chair near the bed. He buried his head in his hands and told them.

 

Somewhere between unconsciousness and awareness, Roxie floated in middle. She was so cold, ice would be a blessed relief from this torment. Every preconception of hell had disappeared from her mind; hell was cold. Desperate, her thoughts wandered to any memory of heat available, as if that would warm her up. But once none of those fleeting sensations satisfied her, she searched deeper.

She was flying.

Roxie hated heights ever since the ‘incident’, but this was perfectly natural and safe to her. Her feathers ruffled, sparks flying as she flapped her wings. Completely normal. The only problem was that she felt… well, old. Ancient. It was indescribable. Her bones felt weak, her joints stiff. She was tired, nearly burned out, like a flame clinging to a short wick. The burden of knowledge and experience weighed her down. Life had taken its toll.

She swooped down, to a cliff ledge along a lush mountain. Wings dragging, she trudged through an opening in the mountain side. It was a cave. It was a nest; her home. Her deathbed. She wove the cinnamon twig she had been carrying into a gap in the nest. There. Perfect. She stepped in, fluffing her feathers until she was comfortable. Lifting her plumage, she cried out. She was engulfed in fire. She was reunited with her brethren. It consumed her; she became it. She was pure fire. She was disappearing now, but it was fine. She was at peace at last, her fire would live on….

Something was wrong. The ceremony of renewal was interrupted.

Roxie jolted awake, sitting up. Big mistake. She groaned, head spinning as she plunked back down. Bruce sighed. That was the literal eighth time she had done that. Each time she startled awake she immediately fainted. The sudden movements were too hard on her. If Loki hadn’t been in the room for the seven previous times, he would have strapped her down after the third time.

For once in the past fourteen hours Loki wasn’t there; Thor had seriously threatened to hold him down with Mjolnir so he’d get some actual rest. It had already taken a serious amount of coaxing to get him to change out of his soaking wet and freezing clothes. Right now, he was crashing on the living room couch, fitfully dozing.

Bruce looked down at her jittering form, expecting her to go back asleep. Instead, her eyes fluttered open, unfocused. He sprung up. Steve and Thor, also in the room, moved closer.

“Roxie?” Bruce nudged her shoulder, inducing a grunt of displeasure. “How are you feeling?”

She shuttered violently; gritting her teeth. “Jesus Christ, turn on the heat. It’s like the friggen artic in here.”

Thor frowned. “It is like muspelheim in here.” He pulled at his shirt; the sweat stains proving his point.

A concerned look crossed Bruce’s face. “The temperatures as high as we can stand it, and you have several space heaters pointed at you; along with an electric blanket.”

“That’s ridiculous, its-” She extended her senses out, looking for heat signatures. “Oh my god you’re right.” Her eyes flew open and she attempted to look around. A light hand kept her down. The initial shock of the color of her eyes quickly passed, and Thor and Steve readily accepted the new reality. They were a little distracting, but they both had seen much weirder. Thor thought her eyes weren’t that much different from Heimdall’s.

“Stay down; you need to be still.” Roxie’s face scrunched up.

“You’ve passed out seven times from moving too fast.” Steve quickly elaborated. “Just lie still.”

The young woman slouched, looking all the more smaller. She couldn’t even lift her hands under the weight of the blankets. “Could someone move these blankets?” She wined. “I can’t move my hands and it makes me feel friggen pathetic.” Bruce obliged. She summoned fire, before swearing and dissipating it. “Ow! Why the hell did that hurt?” Bruce sighed again, forcing her hands down.

“Frostbite?” Steve suggested, aware that she had probably never experienced the sensation. “Hands usually sting after coming into a warm room after being in the cold.”

“That’s… weird.”

“Let me go get Loki.” Said Thor.

“Yeah… Wait, no.” She face palmed. “Oh-” She let out a string of obscenities.

Thor glanced over at Steve. “I have never seen a person so small swear as much as she does.”

“You’re telling me.” He replied. “Yeah, Bruce told us.”

“And Tony elaborated.” Added Thor. “With great detail.”

She groaned, shivering again. “That- that doesn’t really help.”

Bruce shot both of them a warning look. “Let’s not get her too excited. Roxie, how do you feel? Does anything else hurt?”

“Um… light headed. Freezing. I don’t think I’ve ever been this cold. Nauseous, weak? A little sore.” She frowned deeper, remembering her dream. “A weird-ass fever dream.”

Bruce reached over for a glass of water and a pill. “I’ve got something for nausea. What was it about?”

She shook her head slightly, gulping the drink down. “Nothing. It was… stupid.” She was not going to pour her heart out about flying and burning herself alive. She shuttered, clutching the blanket tighter, shutting her eyes. She was suddenly very tired.

“Let’s try to stay awake.” Prompted Bruce. “I want you to build up your own body heat.”

“Okay.” She muttered, opening her eyes. “Hey Bruce? Thanks.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

She blinked. “Why is it so bright in here?” She scowled. “I don’t have my sunglasses on.”

“Here.” Steve took them off the bedside table and handed them to her. For some reason she glared at them before accepting them. She studied them, eyes flicking to the side then back to him.

“Could you hand me that trash can over there?”

Steve gave her a suspicious look before doing so. She dropped them in, shivered, and set the contents on fire. Rubbing her stinging fingers, she eyeballed them. “Those things were stupid.” Roxie then nestled further into her blankets. Thor laughed, Bruce and Steve smiled.

“I agree.” Said Natasha. They turned to see her, Clint, and Tony walking in. “Hey Roxie. You feeling better?”

“Yeah, thanks. Hey, um, where’s Loki?”

“Crashed out on the couch.” Answered Tony. “So hey, no sunglasses?”

“They’re burning in that trash can.” Everyone glanced at it.

“Oh.” He looked back to her, rocking on his heels. “What is that supposed to be? Symbolic? Like a bra burning?”

“Oh, well, I didn’t want to say anything you may want to go check on the roof in a few. I hear cotton burns fast.”

Tony blinked. “You… You didn’t do that, right?” he looked around, catching the eye of Clint, who was content just to watch the scene. “Right?” Clint smirked. “Jarvis?”

“Sir, I can assure that there is no bra burning on the roof.”

“Whew. Thanks Jarv.”

“A pleasure, sir. Of course, if you are referring to the time-”

He cleared his throat. “We’re good here Jarv.”

Natasha rolled her eyes, taking a seat right next to her bed. She rested her head on her hand. “Now back to the topic of Loki.” Roxie grimaced, seriously contemplating making herself pass out so she could skip this conversation. She really didn’t want to think about what his past implicated. “First off, he told you everything, but not everything exactly.”

“He’s…. good at that.” She said through tight lips.

Clint, scowling the entire time, told her about the mind gem that controlled him and Loki; how it felt to be under the influence of another. Thor told her just who Thanos was; what he did, what he must have done to Loki.

“Thor, stop!” He did so, looking worriedly at Dr. Banner, who had his attention turned to Roxie, who had a hand on her forehead. The heart monitor beeped faster. “What’s wrong?”

She weakly waved him off, trying to be nonchalant. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Just lightheaded.” The room was spinning, her head was pounding, and she felt like she had just been thrown naked in a snow drift. “Hmm?” She said, realizing her name had been said several times. It was like her ears had decided to turn off.

“Go to sleep hon.” Said Natasha. “You look like a ghost.”

“Get Loki in here.” She mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut as the room tilted. “Please?”

 

There must have been a gap in her memories, because she blinked and suddenly Loki was walking in, a horribly concerned look on his face.

“Darling.” He breathed. “I’m so-” She took his outstretched hand, pulling him close and kissing him to get him to shut up.

“No, I’m sorry.” She whispered into his ear, arms around his neck. “I accept you, Loki. I love you.” He said something else, but in all honesty she couldn’t hear him as she had already fainted again.

 

She was flying.

Her wing cut the cloud; the cold mist steaming away as they grazed her feathers. She gazed down lovingly at her mountain, the home of her ancestors and the one before her….

 

“Ah!” She kicked her leg, jumping herself awake. She shivered, burying her head in her pillow. A hand rubbed her shoulder; she peaked out at it through her hair and smiled. “Hey.”

Loki sighed, moving her hair out of her eyes. “Hey. Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah. I’m not as cold anymore.” That, and the room was now in focus. It was nighttime; the only lights were the lamp and the moon. “I’m glad you told me.”

He frowned slightly. “I wasn’t, after you fell into a frozen lake.”

Roxie shrugged, cringing. “Well, I think it’s pretty much established that I have bad luck.” She squeezed his hand. “But, I mean, I still love you, actually a little more now that I know you better.”

He smiled, looking shyly down. “You do have a flair for the dramatics. And I still love you more than anything.”

She scrunched her face up teasingly. “I know.” He chuckled, running a hand through her hair, making Roxie feel warm inside. “It’s kind of funny. A frost giant. A phoenix, as they like to call me.”

He hummed, tilting his head backwards. “Can we say you’ve thawed my heart?”

“If it helps you sleep at night.” She grinned.

He twirled her single green lock. “So I hear you’ve sworn off eyewear?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

He grinned. “Good. It’s a shame to see those beautiful gems covered.” She rolled her eyes, making him grin before he got more serious. “Were you having a bad dream?”

“No…” she absent mindfully summoned a spark of fire. Discovering it didn’t hurt, she played with it. “It was just… weird. I was- don’t laugh- flying. And… possibly a bird. And maybe I was also fire. And… I burned myself alive apparently?” She shook her head. “It was just weird.”

Loki thought about this, worry creeping into mind. “Roxie, do you know what the legend of the Phoenix is?”

“Um…” She knew what he was trying to get at. “I know it’s the mythical bird of fire.” She said slowly. “But not the whole legend.”

He nodded his head. “Well, as the legend goes, and it varies, the sun granted a bird, the Phoenix, the powers of the sun. Every five hundred years, it goes to its mountain and burns itself alive, and the new Phoenix is created with the ashes of the old.” Roxie squirmed. “I apologize, but the coincidences are still there.”

She groaned. “The dream was really….specific.” She shook her head, as if that would stop the sudden pounding. “Can we not talk about that right now? It…” _Scares me._

“Of course, darling.” He glanced at the moon, the idea still bothering him. They talked a bit more, Roxie messed around with a candle, until she finally got tired and went back to sleep. He stayed for a few minutes, standing to get himself something to eat. He stopped just as he moved to blow out the candle. The flame was flickering in time with Roxie’s breath. There was an image in the flame. It was vague, but he could make out wings and a beak; crying out to the sky. His breathing hitched and his heart dropped.

Somehow, Roxie was the reincarnation of the Phoenix. Somehow.

Loki stood there for a minute, letting this sink in. She had to be. There was no other explanation.

Roxie was the Phoenix.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, how all confrontation goes in my life.   
> I'm not all that satisfied with the pacing of this chapter (I'll explain more about Roxie suddenly forgoing her sunglasses in next chapter), but do I get brownie points with the contents of it? I'm going to say yes.


	25. Extremis

Roxie sighed, throwing her purse on the couch. It had been a boring day; the only mission in a while had involved a several hour stake out with no action required of hers. Tossing her jacket aside, she plopped down without even taking off her shoes. Out of habit, she reached up to take off her sunglasses, only to find them gone. She dropped her hands, remembering how it felt to discard them. At the time it had seemed out of the blue, but she now realized it was something that had been building up inside of her for a while.

Ever since she stopped hiding from Loki, it had just made sense to stop hiding from the Avengers. She was just tired of it. Her dad’s side of the family had always worn them, so she has always felt compelled to do the same. She slouched, thinking that Leo must have felt the same way. She banished the thought, the idea of sympathizing with him made her want to burn something.

She twisted her head around; there was a knock at the door. She peeled herself off the couch, assuming it was the girl scouts that lived on the floor above her. They were always asking her to buy cookies and honestly, she was a sucker for their charms. Peering through the peephole, her nerves were set on edge. There was a woman in a business suit, with a short layered haircut. There was a strange scaring on her left check. There was something off in the look of her eyes. The woman reached up and knocked again.

“Hello? I’m with the building? I’m here about a noise complaint.” She had a country draw, pleasant and slight.

Roxie’s training kicked in. She didn’t even have a stereo and to her knowledge was never loud when…. She didn’t make much noise. She slid backwards around the corner into her tiny kitchen.

“I have the key; I’m afraid I’m going to have to come in.” Roxie dared a glance around the corner. She stumbled back, clasping a hand on her mouth. The doorknob was melting. Even with her powers, she almost wanted to dash to her bedroom to get the standard issue Shield gun they finally gave her. Plan B, she decided. The woman shoved the door open, stalking down the hall in a way no business woman in heels logically could.

Quickly thinking, she grabbed a kitchen knife. A slick thin one, one Loki would select. She leaned back, keeping it hidden. She tried not to tense as she rounded the corner. The lady made a little sound of surprise.

“Oh. I was beginning to think you weren’t in.” She stepped forward.

“Who are you?” She slid a finger on the blade, itching to use it.

“I’m with the building, like I was saying-”

“No.” Roxie hissed. “You’re not. What are you?”

Her mask dropped, replaced by a smug one. “Nothing you’ve ever heard of.”

“Mod?” Modifieds hated to be called out.

“And just what is that?”

“You don’t know…” Roxie was suddenly less impressed and it showed. “You don’t even know what the registry is, do you?”

A flash of confusion crossed her face, but quickly dropped. “Irrelevant. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

Roxie quirked an eyebrow. “Were you expecting the easy way?”

“It’s never the easy way.”

Roxie’s chest tightened. She knew that. “When why the hell did you ask? So cliché. Let me guess, is this to the death? Let me tell you, I go beyond that. To the pain.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Are you real-” Her eyes widened, dodging the fireball.

“Fighting fire with fire?” Roxie yelled, arms and eyes blazing. “I AM fire.”

The woman’s face grew grimmer, stepping forward. She reached to grab her throat, Roxie could feel the transfer of strange heat, and was quickly blocked. She took hold of Roxie’s other hand, twisting it at an odd angle. Yelping, she hit her in the stomach. The woman withdrew, but not without a sharp high kick that glanced her face. Roxie returned the favor, but her foot was grabbed, yanking her off balance.

She spun, falling on her stomach and knocking the breath out of her. Tossing the hair out of her eyes, she looked over her shoulder at her opponent. Her features were glowing in fire-hot splotches, her skin blackening like charcoal. Ash the same shade as her own eyes powdered off in flakes. A monster. Quick as a snake, Roxie whipped out the blade she had stuffed in her belt, grateful that the leather had been tight enough to hold it. She stabbed her in the foot, twisting it in the wound the way Loki had taught her, he would be proud, and slashed her wildly. The lady cried out and knelt down.

Fire surging down her arm, Roxie elbowed her as she fell, effectively stunning her. Taking this valuable time, she darted out. She headed to her room where the gun was. Smart of them to match her to another fire wielder, well, heat wielder at least. She hadn’t seen any flames. They were using her strength as a weakness though they were also at a disadvantage; neither could burn the other.

Whipping left, she stopped herself, remembering the gun. Side stepping her eyes grew wide as she saw a man in the doorway, a gun aimed at her. His shaved head and lazy demeanor bored into her skull as she leapt across the distance to behind the opposite wall. Several shots rang out, making her head pound. She swung a fireball around the corner, hard. A thud and short blast confirmed that it hit _something_ and that was enough reassurance for her.

Dashing into her room, she melted the door handle close. Yanking out a dresser door, she rummaged through until she found the gun safely tucked in the corner. Loading the clip, she turned off the safety. Gripping both hands around it, a sizzling sound alerted her to danger. Ducking behind the dresser, which was right next to the door and made good cover, Roxie made herself small and hid.

After melting the knob completely off, the man kicked the door open. He looked around, aiming wildly. Backed turned, Roxie pulled the trigger. One short bang and he was on the ground. Natasha would be proud, she knew. Edging around, she kicked the gun under the dresser and looked down at the man. Body now, actually. Despite herself, she gasped, choking on the air.

“I-” She killed someone. She had definitely inflicted serious damage before, killed plenty of those ants, hurt those mutants (but just to that extent she was later reassured), and she speculated that she had killed a few marauders, but this was different. This was a person and she had taken aim and pulled the trigger. She took a step back, shaking her head clear and rolled her shoulders. She remembered Hawkeye’s lesson to her. It was her or them, and anybody with a gun to her head weren’t going to be merciful.

Roxie flew out the open door, skidding to a halt, seeing the woman blocking her path. Her jaw dropped and she stood in shock for several moments. “How-” Other than ripped clothing and the scar, she was completely unharmed. Dismissing this interruption, she shot her several times in the chest. The woman dropped in pain, on her knees, with a nasty look in her glowing eyes.

_They must-_

She tried to twist around, realizing that they could heal at incredible speeds. Before she could, an arm grabbled around her throat, cutting off her air. A hand reached for the gun. She managed to keep it out of reach. Struggling, he was able to lift her a foot off the ground, as he was a good bit taller, effectively strangling her further. She tugged at the blockage, allowing herself just enough air. Fighting, her effort objectified into fire which flicked around her body. Now a few inches above his head, she held the gun out of his grasp. A bizarre game of life or death keep-away.

Roxie’s ashen eyes widened, seeing the woman get up. She kicked harder. The man’s face drew into a further snarl. No one liked being on the wrong end of this game. She strut over, all confidence. Knowing it was a last chance, Roxie let go of the arm that held her. Hitting her in the stomach with a fireball, she summon a great wave of fire. It was stopped short, like her breath, resulting in a great funnel of smoke. The sprinklers turned on.

Flinching, she took him off balance and they both crashed backwards. They were soaked. She was vaguely aware of how his skin simmered, hot lava pockets cooling like magna. The water steamed off her. He still had a strong grip on her wrist. He reached up with his other hand to take the gun; Roxie had to ram him aside earning her a punch in the stomach. He did it again and again, it weakened her grip.

A wave of determination rose up in her, and she fired a dozen shots into her bedroom. She was suddenly grateful that there wasn’t another apartment on that side, just brick. When it stopped firing she dropped it, untangled herself, stood up, and kicked him in the face. The water made everything hazy like being in a downpour on a foggy day. Her head jerked forward, suddenly yanked from behind.

Roxie yelped as the woman twisted her arm behind her back and slammed her into the wall. Flames engulfed her in fury. The water couldn’t put it out and she singed the wall. Roxie stamped on her foot several times, hitting her head against the woman’s forehead. This was enough to weasel out of her grasp. Roxie spun, ready to deliver another hit. Instead, she groaned in pain. The woman had punched her straight in the gut.

It was hot and harsh and she discovered a different kind of burning, not of smoldering wood or flesh but of profound betrayal. Fire was working against her. It wasn’t hers, yet… She remembered the expression, if you play with fire, you’re going to get burned. Her take on it was very different from everybody else’s. She was the fire, how could she be the one to- the fist rammed into her stomach again and she dropped to her knees like a load of bricks.

Nausea and agony spread from her gut upwards. She felt sick and weakened as her vision obscured and went white and hazy. Her ears rang and she wasn’t consciously aware of herself or her surroundings as her mind swelled. She was light headed. The water was cold. It surrounded and drowned her. It smothered her. A well placed kick to the head toppled her; she hit the floor with a thud. Snuffed out.

 

 

The black and white security tape replayed, showing a soaking wet and unconscious Roxie being roughly dragged out into an alley and tossed into the back of a van. Jarvis paused it as the captors turned around, snapping a view of their faces, scanning public records. It seemed as though they weren’t even on Shield’s radar. Loki bared his teeth, catching a glimpse of Roxie. Her face was obscured by her hair, but he could see the one green lock.

“Anything yet, Jarv?” Tony asked, it was really tense in the conference room. Everyone was gathered, worried, angry, scared.

The A.I. paused for a moment. “Ellen Brant and Eric Savin. Sir, it seems as though Brant was a solider, before being honorably discharged after a combat injury. Her arm was amputated.”

“Well, it’s not now.” Steve pointed out.

“A mutant with regeneration ability?” Said Bruce. “Would that be possible?”

Natasha looked closely. “Her clothes are slashed, and she has a knife hole in her shoe, so I would say so. How about the man?”

“He has to at least be a mutant.” Replied Steve. “But if they sent one with that ability, they might have sent two if they knew her powers.”

“The door knob.” They turned to look at Clint, who had been silent the entire time. “The bedroom’s door was melted on the inside, but also on the outside like the entrance. Someone was trying to get in, and she was trying to keep them out. Fire mutants?”

“A good match up.” Nodded Thor. “They must be, then.”

“But why?” Thor looked down on his brother, arms folded out in front of him on the edge of his seat.

“Revenge?” Suggested Tony. “But really, kidnapping isn’t the best way-”

Loki interrupted him, not really caring to hear his opinion. “Have any of you heard of the legend of the Phoenix?”

“Hold up, let me google this.” Loki glared at him. “Okay, it looks like it’s a mythical fire bird that burns itself alive and regenerates every one hundred, five hundred, or thousand years, depending on the source, and creates a new one. Blah, blah, blah, creates a nest of herbs and cinnamon bark to do so, large bird, kinda stork like. Oh, okay. Apparently it’s tears may have healing abilities.”

Thor regarded his brother. “Loki do you think?...”

“Yes I do.”

“They both have fire powers and that is what mutants call her but-”

“She is!” He said, a bit too loudly. A bit softer he added, “Though she herself denies, I know it to be true. Roxie told me she had a dream, a vision, of being the Phoenix and burning herself alive. I don’t know how, but she is.”

“I mean,” Tony shrugged. “Reincarnation and all that Jazz.”

“There’s no research done on that, so that’s an unproven theory.” Noted Bruce. “Though, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Either way, that’s a good reason for…” He trailed off, looking down.

Loki bared his teeth dangerously, nails digging into the table. “If it’s her tears they want, I don’t want to even imagine what they’d do.” A choking blanket of silence fell over the room. “So.” He looked up, eyes blazing, ready. “Where do we start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapters the last one, so stay tuned!


	26. The Phoenix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead, I swear. If you're following my other fic, I swear I'll update as soon as possible! Enjoy this last chapter!

Roxie stirred. She was disorientated, weak, and didn’t know where she was. She moaned, head spinning. When was the last time she ate? Her eyes were so dry; sore. Why was that? She blinked, why were the lights so low? She couldn’t see a thing. She shivered. She felt like a freeze dried product pulled from storage, including the permafrost. That didn’t make any sense. Shifting her limbs, she felt around. They were strapped down.

She jolted, jerking the restraints, panicking. A mess of her hair was grabbed and yanked down. She cursed, struggling further. Roxie was slapped, making her growl and glare, eyes finally having adjusted. A middle age woman with blonde hair and glasses looked down at her, displeased.

“I thought you weren’t going to wake up for another… well ever, to be honest.” She looked down at her clipboard. “Well it doesn’t really matter. The injection is all the way down in the car, and that’s a long walk away. We can just do this while you’re awake.

Roxie raised an eyebrow, incredulous. “You act as though you’re doing me a favor.” She looked around. She was on a metal table, tied down. In a cave. On a pile of sticks and leaves. “What the hell is going on?” She asked, angry, but partially genuinely curious.

The woman made a little ‘hmm’ sound, turning to face a man looking at something on a tablet. She craned her head upwards. Her lips curled into a snarl when she saw to two she had fought in her in her apartment, plus a few more mutants. Presumably of the same cut. Furious, she called upon her fire and gasping at the effort, fell back. It was as if she was out of fuel and guessing by her weakness and starving stomach, she was. And whatever drug that had used on her was obviously still effecting her.

“What’s going on?” she rasped. When she didn’t get an answer she yelled louder, which was not actually very loud, “What the hell are you doing?” The blonde lady glanced over her shoulder and scoffed, though the lanky older man she was conversing with eyed Roxie warily. “Okay,” she fixed her gaze on the mutants. “So you’ve kidnapped me. Congratulations, you ganged up on me.”

She glared at the uncomfortable earthen pile beneath her distastefully, moon eyes grazing over the restraints. “What, am I some kind of sacrifice? We ripping off Temple of Doom over here?”

A vague smirk appeared on the male mutant from before’s face. He opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced by a look from the other man. “Don’t encourage her.”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of motivation.” She growled, “It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitus mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again perhaps I have the strength after all.”

The woman redhead groaned. “Are you- stop quoting the Princess Bride! Besides, he was bluffing then, and you’re bluffing now.” The blonde lady glanced at Roxie with pure distain.

“Wanna test that?” Roxie refused to look away, as much energy it sapped away from her. It was true, all true. She couldn’t even light up a spark let alone fight. She was absolute terrified, cold sweat ran down her body in rivets. She could feel her panicked, two beat heart in her chest, pulsing on her neck and temple. Her dry mouth and eyes, ratty hair, and wild eyes. She was hoping, begging, for Loki to be here if only for his presence or to say goodbye. Any token or reminder of him would be a comfort. Right now, she was bluffing to save her life.

The other woman looked away first. A surge of hope at this small show of her own powers. She knew her were eyes were deep and strange and for once, her asset. They were her strength, her little bit of control over the situation. Tilting her head menacingly, a faded green lock crossed her features. Roxie’s heart warmed, hope filling her. That was her little reminder of Loki.

The blonde lady rolled her eyes, exasperated. “You’re sure this is the right place?”

“Yes, yes, the readings correspond. And if it doesn’t work out, she won’t die so we can just go to another potential location.” At the mention of death, Roxie thrashed, desperately trying summon fire. The man looked at her slightly concerned, but in the way that said he was more worried about her being a disturbance, though their plan seemed to rotate around her. “The ceremony is simple. Containment is the only issue if this works, but you guys got that covered, right?” He was referring to the mutants who nodded. Roxie noticed the thick industrial grade box next to them, seeming specially designed.

The blonde lady set down her clipboard, slipping on a pair of protective gloves, and snatched up a campfire lighter. Slightly ridiculous for the situation at hand, but the aesthetic isn’t what bothered her. “Let’s get this over with.” She sauntered over to Roxie.

Roxie struggled, white ashen eyes widening. “Wait-” It bothered her how much this fire scared her, but she was too petrified to care. All of a sudden it connected, and she relaxed slightly. “You honestly think?... That’s a legend, and one that greatly varies based on the source.” She snorted. “The jokes on you.” She knew she wasn’t the Phoenix. That was impossible. “What do you even hope to gain?”

“Well,” The woman shrugged. “If it all works out, a young Phoenix which we can then extract the tears from. Study that, and we could recreate how they work and we could develop a method for rapid regeneration, maybe even offset the aging process.”

“Oh? And how can you be sure that I’m the Phoenix? I sure as hell don’t have any feathers, and the myth doesn’t say anything about it becoming human.”

The woman suddenly became much more annoyed. “For one, the powers match up. Even they,” She gestured over her shoulder. “Can’t control fire the way you do. Second, you were born with your powers, and after checking though your family heritage, we determined that the genetic mutations in both lines began with two different men on both sides. Both were explorers, partners, who mapped this area, this mountain included, just over a hundred years ago.”

“Where are we then?”

“Nowhere.” She snapped. “There were reports of both of them gaining strange powers and abilities after coming here, but they wouldn’t say anything about it. We can only assume what they did, and somehow harnessed the power of the Phoenix, probably by disrupting its renewal. Regardless, they passed on their powers to their kin. The mix of DNA once those genetic codes reunited must have created a type of new Phoenix, you.”

Roxie narrowed her eyes. This was stupid. She wasn’t the Phoenix. “Tough luck, but a mix of DNA doesn’t mean I have the same genetic material as it.”

“Oh no, but it is similar. Get the feather.” Roxie glared curiously as the man pulled out a small box from his coat pocket. “Place it on her. You see Mrs. Jackson, we found this ancient bird feather in this cave. Strange, as it was deep enough under the sediment to date back about a hundred years, but with no sign of decay. Remarkably, your DNA is scarily similar. We aren’t sure of the numbers, but it’s eerie.”

Roxie glowered. “If that’s left, then how can I be the Phoenix? There can only be one at any point in time; if that’s leftover, then the new one can’t exist. The other has to be obliterated first.”

“Oh yes,” she replied with a smug glint in her eyes. “That’s true. But this is a different case. Since you are mostly human and appear to be a manifestation of its powers, there may be a way to revitalize the Phoenix. From there, we can harness its tears.”

“If I was the Phoenix, then why the hell didn’t my tears work now? I am not the Phoenix!” The man placed the feather at the base of her neck, pinning it down with another strap. She jerked. “Get the hell away from me, bastard!”

“A human body probably isn’t physically able to.” The woman shrugged, edging closer with the flame. “Healing tears _is_ of mythical proportions; stuff of legends. The gene for it however, is a different story. You more than likely have a dormant gene for it, though it would be hard to isolate, which brings us to an alternate process. Using some rudimentary principals of what _you_ would call magic from some ancient other worldly texts, we came to the conclusion that if the manifestation of the Phoenix’s powers burn with the remains of its body, we can create a new one.” Roxie squirmed and the woman held the flame just an inch from the pyre. “And we shall.”

 

Loki stiffed, head twisting north. “Change course!” He shouted to Natasha and Clint up front, piloting. She looked at him questionably, but did so. “Thor.” He hissed. “Do you sense that?”

Thor stopped, looking the same direction as Loki. Steve watched him expectantly. “Yes. Yes, I do!”

Loki nodded grimly. “If you can sense it too, it must be very powerful.” Thor blinked, slightly annoyed at the insult, but didn’t reply.

“That was quite a hunch.” Steve said to the assassins, who shrugged.

“Finding people is our job.”

“And it’s easier,” Added Clint grimly. “When you have their plates, and they take their cars transcontinental. Stark, did you catch that?”

“Yeah, yeah. Man, Greenland has a lot of snow. Rudolph, how far do you think the source is?”

Loki narrowed his eyes, unwilling to look away as if the energy would disappear the second he did so. “It’s hard to tell, but at least several miles. Fly ahead and see what you can find.”

“Already ahead of you.” There were a few minutes of silence. “Woah, found some car tracks. This may be it.” Clint increased the thrusters. “I’m seeing some cars parked at a base of a mountain, sending coordinates now. And- I’m seeing a light from a cave in it. And-oh my god. Holy shit guys. This is not good.”

“What?! Stark, tell me this instant!” Loki said through gritted teeth, heart racing. “Is she alright?”

“Uh…. She’s alive?”

“Was that a question or a statement?”

“Whoa!” There was a crackle in the transition. “Alive, definitely. And firing on me, apparently.”

“Firing?” Exclaimed Steve. “Why? She would never do that…” There was an edge to his voice.

“Yeah- don’t think it’s ‘her’ her. There’s this crazy look in her eyes. Man, I don’t think anyone is going to step out of that cave.”

“I see a smoke trail.” Reported Hawkeye. “Coming in for landing.”

“I see you guys. Watch out for fireballs.” The passengers lurched as the plane dodge said fireballs. “Told you. Oh update, Loki’s down there now.”

“He’s what?” Steve whirled to see him gone. “Great.” Grabbing a parachute and strapping it on, he opened the bay doors and followed Thor, who had already leapt out.

 

Not-Roxie stood at the top of the mountain, on the ledge that led out from the cave. A steep path ran from the side of her overlook down. She gazed carefully at the handsome man in green at the bottom, keeping the flying metal one in her sights as well. She tried searching for his name; she had felt the human recognize him but she selfishly hid back all information on him, as if she was hoarding if for herself. The Phoenix snorted to herself. Efforts soon to be useless in a short time.

The man watched her warily. “Roxie?” He asked carefully, ignoring the two thuds behind him as Thor and Tony joined him.

“Is that this human’s name? She refuses to tell me.” It was strange, hearing a haughty tone in Roxie’s voice.

“So you are not her.”

Her lip curled distastefully. “Of course not. Who are you?” He said nothing, wanting to see if Roxie would respond instead of this stranger. “Hmm. Well, she’s using all of her strength to hold back only your name, so I’m guessing lover. From what I gather, I may be in a little trouble.” She smiled. “But you won’t hurt her, so I have nothing to worry about. You kill me, she will die as well.”

“If I may ask,” Bellowed Thor. “Who are you?”

She sighed, annoyed. “I guess in this form, it isn’t obvious. I am the old Phoenix, reborn in this body. Soon to be my body, and mine alone.”

“You know, stealing other people’s bodies isn’t really nice.” Commented Tony. “Rude, really.”

“This human stole from me!” She snapped, smoke billowing around her, wisps of fire shooting down her limbs and hair. The fire behind her that had been dying down now flared dangerously, shadowing her. “I was to finally pass on from my long existence, when this human’s ancestors interfered! Through two bloodlines they split my power, cursing me to spend over a hundred years in that cave, my spirt alone and tied to those blank stone walls. A hundred years isolation in purgatory is a good reason for taking back what has been stolen from you!” She seethed.

“They may have,” Replied Loki. “But she didn’t. After so long, wouldn’t it be best for you to move on? The world is so different now, alien to a legendary creature like you.”

“Then the new one will burn!” She spat, fire drifting down the slope. “This is my second chance, and I will not let it be taken from me, not like the last. I will hunt down those thieving bloodlines, I will be whole again.” She glared daggers at Loki. “And I will obliterate all who stand against me!”

“That’s unfortunate.” He said venomously. “For you.”

She stepped forward, before twisting to see something stumble away through the flames. Eric walked out, limping and flaming. He stopped, eyes widening before becoming hard, and raised a threatening arm, hot and charred like lava. The Phoenix lifted her palm, grasping at thin air. The rest of the team had just crossed over the slight hill behind the mountain and strip of flat land when the man suddenly collapsed, clutching his chest. Flashing her fingers, he burst into flames and exploded.

Not-Roxie turned around, a sick grin on their friend’s face. Her arm was red-hot, face becoming milky like lava. Her white eyes were black like coal. Embers flaked off her hair. “I am not her. I am fire. I am destructive.”

Whispering a warning to Thor and Iron Man, Loki teleported to the platform. The Phoenix stepped back in surprise, before sending tendrils of fire to him, which he blocked with an energy shield. “Roxie please-” he dodged a fireball, larger than any one she had ever thrown before. She seethed in response. “You can fight it, you are stronger than her!”

The Phoenix growled, a bolt from Tony whizzed past her head. A blunt arrow from Hawkeye struck her, bringing her to a knee. Natasha and Steve ran up the hill; Thor tossing himself up to the platform with his hammer. Electricity ran through her from the arrow, and she cried out. Gasping, she incinerated the arrow, melted an icy blast from Loki, and caught the next shot from Tony.

A wall of fire melted the next arrow. Converting the energy to a usable form, she sent a roaring blade of fire down the path, blocking it. Hearing the sound, she threw herself to the ground when Thor tossed his hammer to easily miss. She rolled over, kicking fire at him, so that Thor had to step back. While she was distracted, Loki lunged and wrapped arms around hers. He cursed himself for having to be so rough while she kicked and growled. She heated up, trying to cook him. Loki shifted to his Frost Giant form, the contact of their skin sizzling and spitting as they held each other at bay.

Iron Man dared to land atop the opening of the cave just as Natasha and Steve found a path around the fire and arrived. Hawkeye stalked up the opposite, bow and arrow ready. Loki tried to talk in her ear as Roxie struggled franticly. Natasha kept a reluctant hand on a gun. Fuming, with arms now lava like, more fire that flesh, the Phoenix threw Loki straight over her shoulder into Thor. The brothers landed in a heap.

She sent a fireball towards Clint, who had to leap from his spot, but he managed to send a rapid fire of arrows. They were easily melted. Natasha took the chance while her back was turned and fired a bullet into her right shoulder. Crying out, she collapsed forward. Loki, already on his feet, shifted to move towards her but she was already up and spitting. A torrent of fire rushed to the pair. Steve bent to protect them both.

Loki sent a green energy blast; throwing her off balance. She got to her knees and clutched her shoulder that now was bleeding fire. Tony fired a couple blasts, she rolled back several times to miss them; flipping over to her feet. Steve quickly tossed his shield at her waist. She caught it, spinning it to hit Tony. He flew back several feet, clutching it tightly. Now with no protection, she stomped at Natasha and Steve. Grabbing his shoulder, Natasha yanked them off the platform and out of the way of the torrent of fire.

They deftly rolled several feet, catching themselves on thin trees. An arrow flew, hitting her in the chest. She fell back, shaking with electricity. Gasping, she managed to draw up another wall to block Loki and Thor. Wrenching it away, she fumed. Her body was all flame now, red and moving like currents or tectonic plates, eyes black as ever. Veins of blue coursed through her; her blood. Her heart was a dark shade of blue, brightly shining. Blue fire was the hottest, Loki knew.

Shakily standing the Phoenix shot a particularly fiery blast at Hawkeye. Clint stumbled and fell, skidding down a few yards. The brothers stepped back; the flame from the cave was shrinking the standing room. Tony took off, swooping down for a few rapid fire shots. However, not-Roxie smiled like a madwoman. Lifting her palm and twitching her fingers, tiny burst of fire appeared along his suit. The missiles he had on him where exploding. Jerking, Tony became reacquainted with the ground.

Through the microphones in their ears, they heard his groans of pain. “Guys- I’m, ugh, I’m injured. I don’t _want_ to sit- ah!” A large blast rumbled, and the line was silent. Natasha and Steve where already sliding down, as the Phoenix raised her hand for a finishing blow. Thor’s hammer knocked the blast halfway. An arrow whizzed by her, she titled her head to dodge it. Loki used that moment to tackle her to the ground. Thor leapt in too, summoning his hammer.

Not-Roxie kicked Loki in the jaw, but he ignored it. He froze her torso to the ground, Thor helped pin her as he did so, not wanting to use his hammer in fear that it would crush her. Both felt enormously guilty. Work done, they pulled away, Hawkeye appearing to aim an electrically charged arrow at her. She spat and growled, steaming.

The three men shared a look. “Now what?” Asked Thor.

Loki shook his head, kneeling next to her. “My guess is that her soul is locked inside.”

“Her soul is _dying_ as we speak!” As she spoke, the Phoenix’s face became fire in place of flesh. “Your simple ice cannot hold me for long, no matter what spell you put on it. Once I fully transform, she _will_ die.”

“Silence.” Loki hissed.

She leaned in, ever so slightly. “Do you know what happens when a soul dominates another’s body? You do, I see it in your eyes. Your Roxie will not only die, her soul will be obliterated. That’s worse than death.”

“Silence!” His eyes flicked down and up her body. “We have to awaken Roxie’s soul.”

“Is that something you know how to do?” Ask Clint, eyeing him.

“No, not really.” Loki gritted his teeth, reaching out a blue hand to her brow. “But I can improvise.”

 

Roxie was holding on her dear life. She had no shape, no form. She was a candle in the wind, flickering and fading out. A strong wind that threatened to snuff her out. Clutching her thin wick, which was nothing in most senses of the word at all in the realm of her mind, she stubbornly held on.

Though she had absolutely no idea what was going on, no concept of her surroundings, all while having this foreboding feeling of dread that if she faltered for a second she would truly die, Roxie was tenacious and refused to go down without a fight. And she knew that that was the way should she would go. Somewhere in the darkness where she could cast no light, something reached out.

Floating through the darkness, Loki saw what could only by Roxie. Projecting himself into her mind, he had found that the Phoenix had contained her and repressed her entirety to a single flame in a perpetually dark sea of nothing. The Phoenix’s soul, memory, and mind engulfed it, stifling her, and she was becoming wearier with every passing second. Fighting through, he found a something. Extending his hand, he touched it.

The soft warm flame no larger than a candle’s flicked vibrantly. It recognized him. He smiled painfully, knowing this manifestation was his love. He should have known that her soul was the embodiment of fire. He coaxed it, calling her name. “Roxie…”

It shuttered, thrilled. The flame increased as if someone had turned on the gas. “Roxie,” he repeated. “You’ve got to wake up, you’ve got to take back your body.” It seemed to sigh, bending to the side as if it knew how hard living was. “Please, do it for me.” The fire licked at his fingers. It was now the size of a camp fire. “I love you.”

Suddenly, it burst. It engulfed him, but did not burn. The dark expanses lit up, the black barriers now visible. It danced along the perimeter, crisping the edges. Smiling and whispering goodbye and a wish of luck, he pulled away.

 

Loki blinked, jerking his eyes open. The green ovals running over the scene. Clint and Thor stared, worried. He glanced down, seeing that the ice nearly completely melted but Roxie’s eyes were still locked shut in slumber. Thor opened his mouth to say something, but went silent as white light trickled from her eye lids and hair, like liquid.

“She can’t be…” whispered Loki. She couldn’t be possessed, still. Why was the transformation continuing? Her eyes widened suddenly, the irises white. But then became black. Then silver again. Her face scrunched up, but she made no move to stand.

“How? Has… has this human marked her body?”

Thor’s brows furrowed. “Marked?”

“A permanent one! In what form-”

“She has a tattoo.” Loki smirked. “On the back of her neck. A key hole. She has laid claim to her body, and you can’t fully take over because of it.”

She glared at him furiously, eyes flicking back and forth between colors. Gasping, she threw her head back, withering as her soul was forced to leave. They stepped back as fire danced towards them. “Let’s go.” Ordered Clint, already off of the platform. The brothers didn’t move, not wanting to step away. Loki reached out to caress her face, wincing as it singed his fingertips. Clint grabbed Loki and yanked him up, pushing Thor back with his other hand. “Come on. This is all we can do right now.”

Sparing her a glance, Loki turned and followed. Skidding down, they reached the others, crouched around a disheveled but otherwise fine looking Tony. They looked back at them, scrutinizing. “What happened?” Asked Steve, head swiveling. He immediately ducked behind his shield, trying to include his teammates. Loki himself called up a force field, surrounding and protecting them all. Fire flooded down the mountain, frying all the meager grass, splashing up the golden haze.

Loki stared upwards in pure awe and fright. Roxie, basked in white light that shined from her eyes and enveloped her body, floated upwards a good yard or so. Fire trickled behind her. From his point, he could see the full length of her body from head to toe. The Avengers held their breath, transfixed. Her limbs and hair bobbed as if they were in water. Her hair was as white and gleaming as snow.

Her body jerked suddenly, a rainbow of colors dancing through her hair. The fire around her raged, an orange light shining from her chest. That particular one ceased after several seconds, but the whirlwind of color in her hair didn’t. Her eyes kept their eerie shade. She relaxed, an orange light flashing down her arms. They quickly shifted to the same variable plumage as her hair.

They were like wings.

The fire leaned in towards her, incredibly bright and hot and moving like one consciousness. It shot towards her, rushing around in a fury of sparks and flashes like a fire tornado. For a long minute they couldn’t see her. Loki’s hands grew clammy and he could feel his heart beat against his chest. She had to live, he loved her. He couldn’t live without her; her warmth, her uniqueness, her eyes… She understood and accepted him, she loved him too. That had to be powerful enough to get through this, right?

There was a soft thud as she fell back to the ground. All traces of the fire had disappeared. A small, scrawnier than usual woman with a mess of black hair sprawled upon the platform. Banishing the shield, Loki sprinted up the mountain. Thor moved to follow, but was stopped by a tug from Natasha who signaled to follow slowly.

Back on the rock shelf, Roxie sat upright abruptly, heart pounding and terrified. Adrenaline coursed through her, making her wired. A hand flew to her throat, it had felt like she had not quite swallowed something and it was stuck. Turning over, she hacked, bracing an arm up and on all fours. Gagging, it dislodged into her hand. Coughing weakly, she stared at it, completely baffled. Why would she cough up a tiny auburn feather?

She shut her eyes, adrenaline high fading as exhaustion shook her to the core. When was the last time she had eaten? Drank? She had never felt weaker.

“Roxie?” The voice was wary, scared. She was so disorientated she couldn’t respond. “My darling…” He breathed, kneeling and upturning her head to face him. Roxie’s eye’s fluttered open, the iris silvery white like always. Whatever was going on and regardless of how confused she was, Loki’s smiling face relaxed her. He enveloped her into a hug, squashing her hand with the feather to her chest.

Roxie nuzzled into his neck, murmuring seriously and meekly, “You’re crushing me.”

He withdrew delicately, handling her body in his arms as if it were china. “Oh Roxie I though…” She let her head fall sleepily on his chest. He looked down at her thin arms and light weight disapprovingly, frowning at her general disheveled appearance so different than normal. She had been starved. “No one will ever do this ever again, I promise.”

Her bright eyes blinked into his suddenly dark green ones. “Wha…” she buried her head back into his soft shoulder. “What happened, Loki? I can’t think of the last thing that happened to me. I’m so tired.”

He brushed the hair out of her eyes, letting her lean more comfortably on him. “It’s alright, love. I’ll explain it all to you when we go home and after we get you some food and rest.”

“M’kay.” She desperately wanted to just fall asleep in his arms right then and there but she gazed down at her hand instead. By then the other Avengers had already made their way up, and stood around her. She smiled weakly. “Hey guys.” Her face scrunched up, seeing Tony being supported by Thor. “What happened? Are you okay?”

He raised an eyebrow, noting how she couldn’t remember what happened. “Oh nothing Sparks, just a leg injury.” He shook his head when she started to ask more questions. “Forget about it. What’s that in your hand?”

“Hmm?” She turned her attention back to her hand, unfolding her fingers. “Oh. A feather. How did I?...” She trailed off, her attention caught by the scenery. Roxie tensed and Loki held her tighter. “Why the hell are we on a mountain?!”

“Long story.” Loki whispered.

“Whatever.” She shook her head, studying the feather. “It’s the Phoenix’s. The old one.”

“Do you remember?” Loki asked, hopeful.

“No…. I just- I just know that it belongs to the old Phoenix. For so long she was trapped….” Sparks appeared in her fingers and the feather dissolved into embers, and floated away in the wind. “And that’s all that had to be done to free her.” Roxie blinked, confused, bracing her head back to Loki’s shoulder. “Guys, I think I’m the new Phoenix.”

“You are.” Loki kissed her head, swiftly scooping her up in his arms. “Shall we go?”

“Yeah.” Replied Steve. “Bruce has been worried sick. Glad you’re alright kid.” Roxie responded with a grin.

“I as well.” Added Thor, smiling broadly. Natasha ran a comforting hand down her arm and Clint simply nodded approvingly. They started down the mountain towards the copter.

“I love you.” Roxie breathed into his ear, savoring how good it felt to be pressed against his chest.

“I love you too.”

It was silent for a moment and Tony said, “Do I smell burning bodies?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Thought I'd never finish this chapter, so much has been going on. And I, of course, managed to squeeze in some princess bride quotes because of who I am as a person. I hoped you enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it!


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